WHO warns that Europe is at a “critical point” of the pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) showed its “major concern“Due to the situation of the coronavirus pandemic in Europe due to the increase in transmission in recent weeks and urged countries to introduce social and public health measures in the face of a”real threat”.

The WHO European region – which includes 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia, including Russia and several former Soviet republics – registered almost 1.8 million new cases and 24,000 deaths last week, 6% and 12% more respectively than the above, and in Europe the increase in transmissions in the last four weeks is 55%.

Although the increase in cases is generalized in all age groups, the WHO highlighted as more worrying the “Quick”Increase in the elderly, since 75% of deaths are of people over 65 years of age.

The percentage of hospital admissions has also doubled in the last week, according to the latest data.

And if there is no reaction and transmission is maintained at these levels, there could be half a million deaths in the region between now and February 1, with 43 countries in a situation of “high or maximum pressure”In their health systems, according to WHO projections.

“We are at another critical point for the outbreak of the pandemic. Europe is back at the epicenter of the pandemic, where we were a year ago. The difference today is that we know more and can do more”, Said at a press conference the director of OMS-Europe, Hans Kluge.

Insufficient vaccination

Kluge especially pointed to the “insufficient”Vaccine coverage and the relaxation of measures as the main causes of the increase in transmission, although without forgetting factors such as seasonality, the beginning of the school year, the return to face-to-face work and the predominance of the more contagious delta variant.

Despite the fact that Europe touches the record for new cases, the death toll is half the maximum reached during the pandemic, a fact that can be explained by vaccines.

“Vaccines are essential to overcome the acute phase of the pandemic, if we combine them with social and public health measures. Vaccines were never promised to contain transmission, but they are doing what they promised very well: preventing severe forms of the disease, particularly mortality.Kluge said from WHO-Europe headquarters in Copenhagen.

Around one billion doses have been administered in the region, with 47% of the population using the full schedule and a very uneven distribution: while eight countries already exceed 70%, two do not reach 10%.

Countries with lower vaccination rates, such as the Baltics and Central and Eastern Europe, have high rates of hospitalizations, notes the WHO, which highlights that most of those admitted and dead are people who have not completed the guideline.

Hence the insistence on increasing coverage in vulnerable groups in those countries and providing them, as well as health personnel, with a booster dose, in addition to the need for “global solidarity”To share doses.

Act proactively

The WHO He praised that 23 countries have strengthened social measures against the pandemic in recent weeks, while criticizing that another seven have done the opposite and called on the authorities of each country to carefully reconsider any relaxation in the current context.

“We must change our tactic from reacting to outbreaks of COVID-19 to preventing them from happening in the first place.Kluge said.

Thus, he defended the usefulness of instruments such as the mask, especially indoors: if its use reached 95% coverage, it could save 180,000 of the half a million lives that the pandemic is feared could cost in the region until February.

Test, contact tracing, ventilation in closed spaces and physical distance were also mentioned by Kluge, as was the “COVID passport“, Which he described as”collective tool for individual freedom”.

“Preventive measures will not take away people’s freedom, they will secure it. In other words, the best way to avoid lockdowns, which should be the last resort, is to apply these measures and keep the transmission of COVID-19 low.“, said.

The WHO It was also concerned about the proximity of the flu season and the possibility of a high circulation of both viruses during the winter.