WHO warns Europe: Infectious storm on the way

Omigron has been found in 38 European countries and is a viral variant that dominates the United Kingdom, Denmark and Portugal.

– In a few weeks, Omigron will dominate many countries in the region and bring already troubled hospitals closer to the point of collapse, says Hans Cluj at a news conference in Vienna on Tuesday.

Last week, 27,000 people were infected with Covid-19 in Europe and 2.6 million cases were reported. According to Cluj, there were 40 percent more cases than in the same period last year.

– He says the scope of the new Govt-19 cases could lead to more hospitalizations and major disruptions to care and other socially important services.

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Spreads quickly

Eighty-nine percent of those diagnosed with Omegran infection in Europe have reported symptoms similar to those of the SARS-Cove-2 virus, such as coughs, runny noses, and fevers. The prevalence of the disease is highest in people aged 20-30 years.

The effects of the Omigron variant are not yet clear, but according to Hans Close and several leading infection control experts, the variant is spreading faster than its predecessors. In countries with a social distribution of Omigrans, the number of cases often doubles in a few days.

Fourteen people have died in the UK

French Health Minister Olivier Véran warns that the country could soon see 100,000 new infections a day, and that early January could be a variant of the Omigron dominance. The country joins on Wednesday to join other European countries that allow children between the ages of 5 and 11 to be vaccinated.

In the UK, Deputy Health Minister Gillian Keegan told Sky News that 129 non-microbial patients were being hospitalized and that 14 people had died from the virus.

European leaders need to continue to invest in the vaccine, introduce additional measures to reduce the epidemic and prepare for socially important services such as the next wave of health care, the WHO leader recommends.