The number of people in our country who become infected with the corona virus continues to increase. Between September 3 and September 9, an average of 636 people were infected every day. That is 38 percent more than in the seven days before. This is evident from the daily report of Sciensano on Sunday. Virologist Steven Van Gucht calls the acceleration disturbing.
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For more than a week in a row, the average number of corona infections has been increasing. “The current figures don’t look good and are to say the least a bit alarming,” said Steven Van Gucht, Sciensano’s virologist. “The number of infections is increasing day by day and the increase is also accelerating. That acceleration must stabilize. Fortunately, the number of deaths remains low, but the question is whether it will remain so. The number of deaths is the last parameter to rise. ” For the time being, the number of deaths is still falling: by 18 percent between September 3 and September 9 to an average of 2.6 per day. The total number of deaths now stands at 9,923.
Hospital admissions are also on the rise
“First you have the number of infections that is increasing and then the number of hospital admissions. The second indicator is also already on the rise. Recently we had less than half of the patients who had to be admitted, ”explains Van Gucht. In the period from September 6 to September 12, an average of 26.6 corona patients were admitted to hospital every day. That is 58 percent more than the week before. In total, 19,273 people have been admitted to our country for COVID-19 since the start of the epidemic. On September 12, 260 hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients. Of these, 68 were in intensive care: 28 percent more than a week earlier.
Van Gucht is now keeping a close eye on the situation in Spain. “The situation in Spain is slightly ahead of other European countries such as Belgium. What is happening there is an important indicator of what awaits us here. ” This brings the total number of infections since the beginning of the epidemic to 92,478 cases.
Rise everywhere
The reproduction number – an estimate of the infection rate – for Belgium for the period from 6 to 12 September is 1.36. On Saturday it was still 1,276. If the reproduction number is higher than 1, the epidemic expands, smaller than 1 it shrinks.
The number of infections is increasing in all provinces, except Namur. The reproduction number is highest in West Flanders (1,550) and East Flanders (1,438). In contrast to the rising figures in July, when the infections mainly took place in and around the central cities, the number of infections is now increasing everywhere, in almost all provinces. “In some provinces, for example West Flanders, we see a doubling on a weekly basis”.
Perhaps a number of phenomena are the cause of the accelerating number of infections. The acceleration coincides with the return of travelers from red zones and the start of the new school year. Many infections are still family-related. More detailed figures are needed to analyze the exact impact of the various causes.
“We will have to remain very vigilant and comply with all measures. Because the more infections there are, the more the contact tracing and prevention will come under pressure through quarantine. ”
(Tommy Huyghebaert)
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