Europe is once again at the epicenter of the Covid pandemic
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The Covid-19 patient is being monitored by a doctor at Klinikum Magdeburg in Magdeburg (east Germany) on April 28, 2021.
AFP | AFP | Getty Images
LONDON — Europe is facing a worrying resurgence in Covid-19 cases, according to the WHO’s Dr. Hans Kluge, who warned that the region was once again “at the epicenter of the pandemic.”
Kluge is the WHO’s European regional director. He said that the WHO has 53 member countries in Europe and Central Asia. Kluge also stated that the WHO was seeing record numbers of daily new cases.
Today, every country in Europe or Central Asia faces a serious threat from a resurgence of Covid-19. Or is fighting it. He stated that the current pace in 53 of these countries was “of grave concern” during a Thursday media briefing.
Kluge reported that last week saw nearly 1.8million new cases and 24,000 deaths. The WHO’s European-central Asia region experienced a 6% rise in infection rates and a 12% increase in fatalities compared with the week before.
According to him, 59% of the global deaths and 48% were reported in this region last week.
Kluge indicated that, should the current trend continue, one reliable projection predicts another 500,000 Covid-related death in the area by February 2022. In addition to this number of deaths from Covid-related causes in the region and 43 countries would be subject to high stress or severe hospital bed use during the same time period.
Kluge stated that “we must shift our tactics from reacting and preventing Covid-19 surges from occurring”
Cases that broke records
Two main factors responsible for Europe’s high case number were the insufficient coverage of vaccinations and relaxations in public health care and social policies according to the WHO Kluge.
It has been questioned about whether there is an increase in the incidence of the deadly delta mutation. There are also concerns over slow vaccination campaigns and booster vaccine drives. Winter season brings more viruses to the surface, which makes it easier for people to get sick.
Continue reading: The delta variant has a mutation that’s worrying experts: Here’s what we know so far
Since several months ago, there has been a significant increase in U.K. cases. Cases have also started increasing dramatically across Europe in the last few weeks. This includes Russia as well as central and eastern Europe. France and Germany are both concerned about the rise.
Deutsche Welle reports that Germany recorded almost 34,000 daily new infections Thursday. This breaks a December 2020 record. French health officials reported 10,050 daily infections in Wednesday’s French hospitals. It was the first time that the total has surpassed 10,000 since Sept. 14.
Although the daily death toll from the virus is far lower than in previous pandemics due to vaccinations, there are concerns about lagging vaccination rates in Europe and any reduction in Covid restrictions.
Pandemic is not over
Leading German health officials warned on Wednesday that the country was entering a fourth wave of the pandemic and urged more people to take up Covid vaccines, which are proven to reduce severe infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
Speaking at a joint press conference, German Health Minister Jens Spahn and Lothar Wieler, the head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases, said a slowdown in vaccination numbers was a problem, as was the number of unvaccinated people.
“The pandemic is anything but over,” Spahn said, adding that it is now primarily a “pandemic of the unvaccinated — and it is massive,” Deutsche Welle reported.
We must act now to avoid suffering from the fourth wave. Wieler of RKI stated that there will be many deaths and serious illnesses, and extreme pressure on the health service.
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