Hospitalization rates related to respiratory infections have increased recently in Europe and the United States. The World Health Organization has warned that vaccination rates against the latest coronavirus (COVID-19) and influenza viruses are too low, and the epidemic is heating up, resulting in pressure on the medical system this winter.
Spain is to reintroduce mandatory face masks in hospitals and health centers as flu and coronavirus outbreaks hit Europe. A woman wearing a protective mask leaves a hospital in Madrid, Spain. (Reuters)
Reuters reports that hospitalizations related to respiratory infections have increased in recent weeks in the United States, some European countries and elsewhere. Death rates among older adults are also rising in some areas, but they are still far below the peak of COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019). The Spanish government has reinstated mask mandates in medical facilities, and some U.S. hospital networks have done the same.
As the world tries to emerge from the pandemic and related restrictions, World Health Organization epidemiologist Maria Van Kerkhove says vaccination rates for influenza and COVID-19 in many countries this season are too low.
Van Kerkhove noted that too many people are requiring intensive care due to a diagnosis of influenza or COVID-19, but this is avoidable.
Infectious disease experts and health officials say that since the World Health Organization lifted the COVID-19 global public health emergency in May last year, governments have faced difficulties in communicating the continued risks of COVID-19 and the benefits of vaccination. Although authorities recommend that all adults receive the new vaccine to prevent severe illness, only 19.4% of adults in the United States have received this season’s COVID-19 vaccine, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC points out that this season the influenza vaccination rate among those over 18 years old in the United States is 44.9%, which is similar to the 44% rate for the same period last year. CDC Director Mandy Cohen said: “We believe that not enough people have been vaccinated against the new coronavirus…People still don’t realize that COVID-19 is still a more serious disease than the flu.” In the last week of December, the flu accounted for more than 10,000 cases in the United States. COVID-19 accounted for 3% of 5.2% of emergency department visits. However, at the same time, the proportion of COVID-19 inpatients among all inpatients was higher than that of influenza.
The European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) pointed out that the transmission rate of influenza in Europe is higher than that of COVID-19. Overall, the diagnosis rate in sampling results in the last week of last year was 24%, up from 19% two weeks ago. ECDC respiratory virus experts pointed out that although this data is consistent with previous flu seasons, “now we have a new uninvited guest called COVID-19.” The ECDC does not have data on influenza and COVID-19 vaccination rates in Europe, but the expert said preliminary data shows that the current COVID vaccination rate is much lower than during the epidemic.
According to WHO data, in December last year, 850,000 new cases of COVID-19 were reported globally, and 118,000 new hospitalizations were reported, which were 52% and 23% more than in November last year respectively. The actual number may be higher. Experts say that although the vaccine does not prevent infection, it is still very effective in preventing severe disease. In addition, some experts have observed that people are tired of COVID-19 vaccination, which hinders the increase in vaccination rates.
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2024-01-12 08:42:47
