Situation ″ moderately worrying ″ in Portugal, warns ECDC
The epidemiological situation of covid-19 is now “moderately worrying” in Portugal, according to ECDC, which speaks of “very high” concern in the rest of Europe and predicts an increase in infections, hospitalizations and deaths in the next two weeks.
“in week 44 [entre 1 a 7 de novembro], 10 countries of the European Union and European Economic Area – Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland and Slovenia – were rated as highly worrying, 13 countries – Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Norway, Romania and Slovakia – as very worrying and three countries – Cyprus, France and Portugal – as moderately worrying”, says Ole Heuer in a written interview to Lusa agency in Brussels , from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
To these are added “four countries – Italy, Malta, Spain and Sweden – as of little concern”, adds the head of the ECDC’s department of contagious diseases and epidemics.
According to Ole Heuer, in this first week of the month (on which the European center has the most recent data), the “level of concern for the EU / EEA in general is very high, at 8.3 out of 10”, in an assessment that takes into account test positivity rates and case rates, as well as indicators of severity (cases among people aged 65 and over and admissions or rates of occupation or death in hospitals or intensive care units).
“At the end of week 44, the global epidemiological situation in the EU / EEA was characterized by a high global rate of cases and rapidly increasing and a low mortality rate, but slowly rising”, points out the ECDC expert to Lusa.
“Case notification rates, such as mortality and admission rates in hospitals and intensive care units, are expected to increase over the next two weeks,” he anticipates.
Ole Heuer adds that “case notification rates are highest among age groups under 50, but notification rates among older age groups are also increasing rapidly.”
And despite noting that “the picture varies considerably from country to country”, the official adds that “the increase in case rates and a global epidemiological situation of great or very worrying are now observed in most EU / EEA Member States “.
On average, in the first week of this month, a global covid-19 case reporting taxon for the EU/EEA was 383.9 per 100,000 population (compared with 316.4 the week before). these numbers have been rising for five weeks.
In turn, a 14-day mortality rate from SARS-CoV-2 infection, which causes covid-19, was this week at 35.5 deaths per million population, compared to 32.3 deaths in the previous week, also increasing for five weeks.
At a time when 76.5% of adults in the EU are fully vaccinated, Ole Heuer explains to Lusa that this resurgence is due to the “relaxation of non-pharmaceutical treatments”, that is, the lifting of restrictive measures such as physical distance, use of masks , reduction of capacity in indoor events / meetings and betting on telework.
“Although vaccines are very effective in preventing serious illnesses and deaths, vaccinated people can be infected and transmit covid-19, although to a lesser degree than unvaccinated people,” recalls the expert.
Ole Heuer safeguards that vaccines have indeed “played an important role” in “protecting people from becoming seriously ill and dying from covid-19”, given their effectiveness above 80% against the serious disease.