The World Health Organization (WHO) fears that the advance of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe will cause an additional 700,000 deaths by March, if current trends persist.
With that, the total number of deaths by covid-19 would reach 2.2 million in the region.
In a statement, WHO said that “high or extreme pressure on intensive care units (ICU) is expected” “in 49 of the 53 countries that make up the region, from now until March 1, 2022” and that “accumulated deaths counted must exceed 2.2 million by spring” (northern hemisphere, autumn in Brazil).
covid-19 has caused 1.5 million deaths to date in Europe.
According to official data, deaths linked to the coronavirus have doubled since the end of September, rising from 2,100 per day to about 4,200, on average, in Europe.
With an impactful phrase, the German Health Minister, Jens Spahn, warned this Tuesday that by the end of winter everyone will be “vaccinated, cured or dead” due to the spread of the delta variant in the country.
For the WHO, the increase in cases is explained by the combination of three factors: virulence of the delta variant, highly contagious; insufficient vaccination; and relaxation of sanitary restrictions.
“The situation in Europe and Central Asia is very serious. We are facing a winter full of challenges”, said the WHO director for Europe, Hans Kluge, asking that prevention measures be added to the vaccination, such as the use of masks, hygiene and physical distance.
In the European Union, 67.7% of the population is fully vaccinated, although the differences between countries are striking. In Bulgaria, only 24.2% of the population is vaccinated, against 86.7% in Portugal.
The Commission is currently working on an “update” of the recommendations and plans to present its proposals for changes to the European certificate in the coming days.
On the other hand, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) announced on Tuesday that it will decide in a few weeks whether to authorize the marketing of Merck’s anti-covid pill, Molnupiravir, sold under the name Lagevrio.
“The EMA will assess the benefits and risks of Lagevrio in a short period of time and will be able to issue an opinion in a few weeks if the data presented are solid and complete enough to demonstrate the efficacy, safety and quality of the drug”, he said.
– Protests-
Meanwhile, governments decided to tighten measures to counteract the rise in infections in the region. In Austria, the population has been confined again since Monday. In Belgium and the Netherlands, governments have imposed new restrictions on health, leading to violent demonstrations.
An act of “pure violence” by “idiots,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, referring to the unrest that has shaken the country since Friday.
Violent protests have also been registered across the Atlantic in the French Antilles. Both health workers and firefighters are opposed to the health pass and mandatory vaccination of medical personnel.
Although, according to the WHO, “there is growing evidence that vaccination-induced protection against mild infections and benign forms is waning,” the organization recommends a booster of the vaccine for the most vulnerable, including the immunosuppressed.
In France, the Defense Council will address the issue of the third dose on Wednesday, in a context of rising infections. On Monday, Prime Minister Jean Castex tested positive for covid-19.
This meeting will allow “to address the issue of the third dose of the vaccine, taking into account the recommendations that we obtained from different scientific and health authorities”, said the Minister of Health, Olivier Véran.
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