Europe faces a “unique” situation to control the pandemic, WHO believes

A “truce” in the pandemic that can lead to a “lasting peace”. This is how the World Health Organization (WHO) described the health situation in Europe, where several countries have begun to lift their restrictions, thanks to the high rate of the vaccinated population and the low virulence of the omicron variant.

Two years after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Europe could enter soon “in a long quiet period”, said Hans Kluge, the director for Europe of the WHO. Is “a ‘truce’ that could bring us lasting peace”, compared the person in charge.

The WHO argues that, thanks to the high number of people vaccinated, the lower severity of the omicron variant, and the end of winter, the region can defend itself against any resurgence of the virus better than it has since 2020. There is “a unique opportunity to take control of the transmissionKluge said.

But this situation will only last if immunity is preserved, that is, if vaccination campaigns continue and the appearance of new variants is monitored, added the expert, asking governments to continue protecting the most vulnerable population, especially.

The WHO Europe Region includes 53 countries, some of them located in Central Asia. In all of them, infections skyrocketed due to the omicron variant.

Last week, the region recorded nearly 12 million new cases, according to WHO figures, the highest number since the start of the pandemic two years ago. Europe, according to an AFP count based on official figures, is about to reach 150 million infections since the start of the pandemic.

Sweden and Finland will lift restrictions

Despite these impressive figures, several countries such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden or France have reduced their restrictions.

Some decisions that the WHO considers appropriate, as Kluge commented this Thursday. “I believe that it is possible to respond to the new variants, which will inevitably arise, without reinstating the kind of measures that we needed before”, insisted the person in charge.

On Tuesday, Denmark became the first European country to lift almost all health restrictions and return “to life before”.

Despite having the highest rate of infections per 100,000 inhabitants in Europe (5,476), the government considers that 80% of the population is protected against serious forms of the disease thanks to vaccination or having had the disease.

Norway also eased health rules on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store declaring that society had to “live with” the virus.

Sweden, the neighboring country, will do the same from February 9. The government argues that, with the omicron variant, the pandemic has entered a “new stage” which does not translate into an increase in hospitalizations.

And Finland will imitate them on February 14, lifting a good part of the restrictions, although the authorities continue to recommend the use of masks.

In England, the wearing of masks ceased to be compulsory at the end of January in closed places and health passports are no longer necessary to enter nightclubs or sports stadiums.

In France, it was also no longer mandatory to wear a mask on the street since Tuesday, but the country maintains the vaccination passport to access places of leisure and culture.

Inequality

The COVID-19 pandemic has left at least 5,698,322 dead since the WHO office in China reported the appearance of the disease in December 2019, according to a balance established by AFP from official sources on Thursday.

Brazil is, after the United States, the country that has registered the most deaths in absolute numbers since January 2020, with 628,960 deaths. Regarding the number of deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, Peru tops the list, with 625.

On Wednesday, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) stressed that one in four inhabitants of the Americas has not received a single dose of anti-COVID vaccination.

63% of the inhabitants of Latin America and the Caribbean have been vaccinated against COVID-19, but it remains the most unequal region in the world in terms of access to vaccines, said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne.

In low- and middle-income countriesmore than 54% of people have not yet received a single dose”, according to the person in charge.