In a sobering assessment of the COVID-19 situation in Europe and Central Asia today, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) European regional office warned that countries could see another half million deaths by February and that 43 nations could face extreme pressure on hospital beds.
Hospitalizations double in past week
Hans Henri Kluge, MD, MPH, said the region's transmission patterns are a grave concern, with cases again approaching record levels fueled by the more transmissible Delta (B1617.2) variant. Over the past months, the region's cases have increased 55%.
All age groups are now swept up in the surge, with a worrying rise in older age groups that has been under way since late September, Kluge said, adding that 67% of deaths are occurring in those ages 65 and older. He also added that hospital admission rates have doubled over the past week.
Kluge attributed the rise to two factors: insufficient vaccine coverage and relaxed COVID-19 measures. Despite record cases, deaths are half what they were during previous peaks, showing the life-saving benefits of immunization and massive efforts of health authorities. However, countries in Europe vary widely in vaccine coverage.
"Where vaccine uptake is low—in many countries in the Baltics, central and eastern Europe, and the Balkans—hospital admission rates are high," he said, urging country officials to tackle service delivery problems and lack of trust among some groups.
Regarding other COVID-19 measures, Kluge said he's encouraged that over the past 2 weeks, 23 countries have tightened their steps. However, he said he is concerned that 7 have eased their measures.
He emphasized that preventive measures allow people to go on with their lives. "In other words, the best way to avoid lockdowns—which are an absolute last resort—is to apply such measures and keep COVID-19 transmission low."
More global headlines
- The United Kingdom today became the first country to approve molnupiravir, the first oral drug for treating COVID-19, for emergency use. In a statement, the UK's Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it authorized the drug, developed by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics, for use in people who have mild to moderate COVID and at least one risk factor, such as obesity, being older than 60, diabetes, or heart disease. The MHRA said officials haven't finalized plans yet to deploy the drug but said it will be used as part of a national study as soon as possible.
- Germany today reported a record daily high for COVID-19 cases, though the total was likely affected by a holiday on Nov 1, according to Reuters. The country's surge in cases comes as state health ministers are set to meet.
- The global total today reached 248,466,545 cases, along with 5,027,473 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins online dashboard.
