The pandemic is by no means over in Europe, where the numbers of infections and hospitalizations are again increasing. The introduction of the Omikron variant has led to several countries introducing measures to delay a new wave of infections.
In the UK, it has been registered in the last week over 100,000 daily infected, at the same time as the omicron infection is referred to as an «explosion» by British researchers.
– The number of new symptomatic cases has exploded in the last week, says the British professor Tim Spector, according to BBC.
“Oh, there were many!”
New wave
The new variant was first detected in Norway on 1 December 2021. I FHI’s recent risk report it is established that the number of detected corona cases and corona admissions is still at a high level, but that there are signs of flattening.
Even in optimistic scenarios, FHI is waiting one million infected by the end of June. Globally, more than 1 million daily cases of infection are now registered, says assistant health director Espen Ropstrud Nakstad to Dagbladet.
Coronajula: – Gets difficult
“Globally, we are once again approaching a new wave with over one million daily registered cases of infection and 10,000 daily registered deaths,” he says.
Europe accounts for a large proportion of cases of infection that are registered now, he says.
– In the last week, new infection records have been set in the UK and France with over 100,000 daily registered cases, and a rapid increase also in Spain and Italy. We also see that countries that before Christmas introduced strong measures, such as Austria and the Netherlands, now have declining infection curves. What all countries’ authorities are obviously wondering is how the omicron variant will affect the spread of infection and hospitalizations over the winter, he says.
INFECTION WAVE ON ITS WAY: Europe accounts for a large proportion of infections that are registered now, according to assistant health director Espen Ropstrud Nakstad. Photo: Nina Hansen / Dagbladet
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Careful optimist
On Saturday, France registered for the first time over 100,000 corona cases in one day. It was the third day in a row with an infection record. The number of hospital admissions and deaths has also increased.
In Italy, too, the infection is ravaging completely. In the last 24 hours, 54,787 cases of infection have been registered, according to John Hopkins University. The government has reintroduced a ban on bandages outdoors.
When Health Minister Roberto Speranza announced the reintroduced mask order on Thursday, he did not say when it will take effect, according to NTB. But he announced that higher-quality bandages will be introduced in cinemas, theaters, sports arenas and public transport, among other places.
However, the situation is completely different in Austria, where the measures have now been relaxed. On Monday last week, less than 1,800 new cases of infection were reported in Austria, which was the lowest since October.
REDUCTION OF INFECTION: In Austria, the measures have been relaxed as a result of low infection and hospitalization rates. Here from a shopping street in Vienna, Austria, December 13. Photo: NTB / REUTERS / Lisi Niesner
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Clear effect
There are also signs of hope in Norway, where both infection and hospitalization rates have fallen in the last week. However, it is uncertain whether the fall is due to the effect of the measures or whether fewer people are testing themselves.
The government of Norway has in December introduced new, comprehensive corona measures in two rounds – first December 8 and then Monday December 13.
– Have we seen a peak of infection in Norway, or can the numbers rise in the future?
In the last week, we have seen a clear effect on the delta variant in the form of fewer infected and hospitalized. This is probably due to both intensified infection control measures and several completed refresher doses at the vaccine centers. At the same time, the number of omicron cases is rising steadily, and will probably make up the majority of infections in Norway in the new year, says Nakstad.
This worries him the most now
Nakstad believes that the infection will probably be limited at Christmas as a result of the fact that many workplaces and schools are closed, and that there is little congestion on public transport and other gathering places.
– On the other hand, many are closer to friends and family during Christmas, so that there can be a number of outbreaks anyway. We only get the result when everyday life is back and people start testing themselves just as much again.
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“A lot can change”
In Denmark, 14,844 new cases of infection were registered on Saturday, the highest number of days so far in the pandemic. During one day, the number of hospital admissions also increased by 57 to 579.
Last week, Tyra Grove Krause at the Statens Serum Institut in Denmark made a gloomy prediction about next month: January will be most demanding month so far in the pandemic. Nakstad does not rule out that Norway may have a similar development.
COMPETITIVE FORECAST: Subject director Tyra Grove Krause at the Statens Serum Institut believes that next month will be the worst so far in the pandemic. Photo: NTB / Ritzau Scanpix / Emil Helms / REUTERS
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– It can certainly happen if the omicron variant continues to grow as fast as it has done in our neighboring countries, he says.
Nakstad emphasizes that the most important thing in the future will be vaccination and the personal infection control routines we live with every day now.
– If we manage to follow them, there will be far less infection pressure in the weeks ahead than it could have been if we had not stayed home due to illness and tested ourselves as we are asked. A lot can still change with the omicron variant, so it is difficult to see where we stand in two weeks, he says.
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