Spanish hospital lab ramps up virus testing

Spanish laboratories have ramped up coronavirus test processing capacity, as the number of infections in the country topped 100,000.

The microbiology lab at Badalona's Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol in Badalona said it had gone from processing 10-15 samples per day to 600-700 samples daily.

They have also shortened the processing time from two days to four hours.

The lab uses real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to detect the presence of the new coronavirus.

Spanish health authorities said on Wednesday the country registered a new record of 864 deaths in one day, bringing the total number of deaths to 9,053 since the beginning of the outbreak.

Total infections hit 102,136. But the 24-hour increase of 7,719 was 1,503 fewer than the increase the previous day, offering hope that the contagion rate may be stabilising.

For most people the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, but for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death.