Madrid at the center of the Spanish COVID-19 pandemic: the result of ill-advised political decision-making

Abstract

In this issue of the Portuguese Journal of Nephrology and Hypertension, Deira et al report on the epidemiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Spanish dialysis units outside the largest cities. This unique viewpoint allows to further trace the spread of the pandemic from Madrid, which became the epicenter of COVID-19 in Spain as a consequence of successive ill-advised political decisions. Deira et al further observed a disconnect between general population infection rates and dialysis unit infection rates in several provinces, pointing to local factors that should be identified and corrected prior to the next pandemic. Although they did not provide specific data on the topic, prior studies from Spain characterized shared healthcare transport to and for dialysis units as a key contributor to infection rates among hemodialysis patients.