Live | ‘Number of infections doubles on a weekly basis, on this …

Corona rates are on the rise at all levels today as well. On average there are more than 5,000 new cases, 152 hospital admissions and 18 deaths per day. ‘A quarter of infections occur in people in their twenties, but the increase is also accelerating strongly among people over thirty.’

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‘The number of infections and hospital admissions continue to rise alarmingly,’ says virologist Steven Van Gucht. ‘The number of new infections is now doubling every seven days. On Friday, October 9, 7,030 new cases were identified. That is the highest number of newly diagnosed cases in one day so far. ‘ Only in the Czech Republic are more infections detected per 100,000 inhabitants than in Belgium.

‘The increase occurs in all age groups. About a quarter of all infections occur in people in their twenties, but the increase is also accelerating strongly among people over thirty, ‘says Van Gucht. ‘We see more than a doubling of infections among the over-80s.’

Test capacity Brussels

The largest increases occur in the south of the country. Stricter measures already apply in several Walloon provinces, Luxembourg and Walloon Brabant have a curfew. However, the highest number of new cases is found in the Brussels-Capital Region. ‘In the past week, an average of 881 new cases were diagnosed there per day,’ says Van Gucht. That’s an increase of 52 percent. ‘Still significant, but not as fast as in the rest of the country. It is still too early to be able to blame this on the new measures, it is probably due to the limits of the test capacity. ‘ Almost one in five tests administered in Brussels is positive. ‘Very high’, says Van Gucht.

If the evolution continues in this way in Flanders, the situation could become ‘just as precarious as in the south of the country’, warns Van Gucht. He also warns of the force of exponential growth, with a slow start and then an explosive increase. “The virus is a fake slow one.”

Intensive care

Recently, there have also been more and more outbreaks in residential care centers. ‘A worrying evolution’, says Van Gucht. There are currently 1,621 patients in hospital with covid-19. 281 of them are in intensive care. ‘The number of patients in intensive care doubles every twelve days. At this rate, the maximum number of intensive care beds may be occupied by mid-November. But I have every confidence that we will avert this scenario, ‘says Van Gucht.

The second wave is underway in several countries in Europe. ‘We know the virus better and we know what to do. More stringent measures can help us to turn the curve, ‘says Van Gucht. “The most powerful weapon is in our own hands. Keep your distance from people outside your household and wear a mask if that is not possible. Keep the people with whom you have close contact to the absolute minimum. ‘

Evolution of deaths

The number of deaths since this summer is only a fraction of that of the first wave. However, the trend is rising, ‘says Van Gucht. 94 percent of covid-related deaths occurred during the first wave, versus six percent afterward. 9,585 in the first wave, versus 659 since this summer. ‘ The average age of the deceased has dropped somewhat, “but it still mostly concerns people over 80 years old.” In the first wave, a fatality was on average 86 years or older, in the second wave 83 years.

A minority of the deaths are people under the age of 65. “In the first wave this was 6 percent, since the summer it has risen to 10 percent,” explains Van Gucht.

‘In the first wave, 63 percent, almost two thirds, of all deceased people were residents of a residential care center. That has fallen to 43 percent since this summer. ‘ In the first wave, about half of the victims died in a residential care center and the other half in hospital, now about 78 percent of the victims die in a hospital and 22 percent in a residential care center.

The number of confirmations of covid infections in fatal victims is also on the rise. In the first wave, 73 percent of deaths were confirmed (with a lab test or CT scan), which has increased to 88 percent since the summer.

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