Now the Minister of Health Bent Høie and Assistant Director of Health Espen Rostrup Nakstad sound the alarm that a third wave of infections may be on the way.
– The third wave of infection that we fear is due to the British mutated virus. It is so much more contagious and it can quickly increase. We are seeing an increase in the countries around us. In Finland, Sweden and partly also in Denmark. We see an increase here at home in the last week. This is a development we hope to avoid, says Nakstad to Dagbladet.
British mutation now accounts for 59.8 percent of the analyzed samples.
Nakstad: – Must endure
Increase in infection in Europe
Infection is now increasing in large parts of Europe, and several countries are experiencing and have experienced a third wave of infection.
In week 8, there has been a ten percent increase in the number of infections in Europe, according to FHI’s weekly report.
The countries with the highest increases are Cyprus (48 per cent), Hungary (38 per cent), Bulgaria (33 per cent), Greece (32 per cent) and Estonia and Malta (31 per cent).
Risk of a third wave
As early as 2 January, Sweden’s state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell sounded the alarm that the third wave could come. Now he warns that a fourth wave may come next autumn.
– We have a third wave of infection spread here. It is here now, said acting health and hospital director in the Stockholm region, Johan Bratt Aftonbladet Wednesday.
Health councilor Robert Steen in Oslo denies to Dagbladet that Oslo is in a third wave.
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At the same level
In a “worst case scenario”, Sweden is expected to reach the top of the third wave at the end of April. Then, according to the forecast, Sweden will experience 14,000 new cases of infection every single day.
The effect of the vaccination has not been taken into account, but so far it is assumed to have a minimal effect as a small number of the Swedish population will be vaccinated.
It is precisely such a “worst case scenario” that the Norwegian health authorities will avoid with the strict measures that have been introduced.
On 21 February, figures from the Danes’ FHI, Statens Serum Institut, showed that the British variant was dominant in the country – and proven in 57 per cent of cases. Norway is now at the same level.
In the last two weeks, the number of Danish cases has increased by 8.5 per cent. But with strict restrictions, the Danes have managed to keep the infection rates somewhat under control.
Sweden is preparing for closure
– In full swing
On Thursday, Hungary introduced new corona measures to curb “the very strong third wave” as a result of the spread of the British mutant. Now shops and primary schools must close, writes Reuters.
“The third wave is strong, very strong and worse than the second wave has been,” Gergely Gulyas, spokesman for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, told the news agency.
Health director Cecília Müller stated at a press conference at the end of February that the third wave had arrived in Hungary. On Thursday, 6,278 new cases of infection were registered in the country, which is the highest in 2021.
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Bulgaria is also in the third wave, writes the news agency AFP. On Thursday, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov urged everyone to follow the corona restrictions, after seeing large crowds in the cities.
– I do not get it. We explain that the pandemic is in the third wave. It is in full swing, he says, according to The Sofia Globe.
85 percent of the covid hospital beds are now full. The same applies to 57 percent of the country’s intensive care units.
– Refuses to take the test
SMS-code
With more people in the risk groups vaccinated, it is the capacity of the hospitals that is of greatest concern when it comes to the third wave of infections.
On Wednesday, Greece’s soaring 2702 new corona cases registered in the last 24 hours. This is a new record this year, according to the health authorities.
The news agency Anatolia writes that new restrictions have been introduced to get the infection under control.
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Since November, residents have had to send an SMS with a six-digit code that explains why they are leaving home. From Thursday, these regulations have been tightened further, according to Anadolu.
Traveling to the store or the bank will now be limited to the municipality of residence or within a radius of two km.
Residents who use “code 6”, for personal training and to air the dog, will only be able to do this on foot.
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– Dramatic wave
The British virus was first discovered in the UK on December 20 last year. The variant was then found in the Netherlands and Denmark. Only a day later it was discovered in Germany and Italy.
Then it appeared in France and Spain – and then in Sweden and Norway.
Since then, several of the countries have experienced increased infection. This week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the third wave is near, and introduced strict measures until March 28.
“There are many examples in Europe of a dramatic third wave,” Merkel said, according to the news agency AP.
– We’re a little sad
In February, Portugal was hit by the third wave. The authorities have stated that it was the British virus variant that led to the high infection pressure in the country.
This led to a collapse in the health care system as a result of burst capacity, and several other countries had to assist with hospital beds and breathing machines. Now the infection numbers are going down, according to FHI’s report.
Assistant Director of Health Espen Nakstad has stated that we can knock down the mutated virus variants if we follow the restrictions, and are quick to test and detect infections.
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