Copenhagen: – – Corona about to die out
The Danish municipalities that have been hardest hit by the pandemic are now among those with the lowest infection pressure.
Because even though the infection on a national basis increased by twelve percent from week three to four, the infection is on its way down in the capital region, writes Statens Serum InstitutDanish version of FHI:
- In the Capital Region, there are now 4,829 infected per 100,000 inhabitants
At the same time, in western parts of the country, the turn is going up:
- Region of Southern Denmark: 5431 pr. 100,000 inhabitants
- North Jutland Region: 5236 pr. 100,000 inhabitants
– So many immune
Several municipalities in Jutland can reach signs with the highest number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants, while at the bottom of the list you will find, among others, Copenhagen.
To Jyllands-Posten Associate Professor Viggo Andreasen at Roskilde University explains that the figures show signs that the coronavirus will now spread further west in Denmark, and that infection rates will fall further in eastern parts.
– It spreads from Copenhagen and westwards. In the Copenhagen area, it is on the decline because there are so many who are immune, so the epidemic is about to die out, says Andreasen, who is a specialist in mathematical epidemiology.
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– Population immunity
The infection pressure several Danish municipalities, second among the capital, have lived under, has led to a form of population immunity, the associate professor explains.
Andreasen believes that the introduction of the omicron variant can be referred to as a separate epidemic in the corona epidemic in Denmark.
– The previous waves of infection we have had have never been so great that they have really given many of us immunity, he says, and adds that this is due to the fact that the epidemic has been suppressed by means of restrictions.
– So we have never reached the point where there is so much immunity in the population that it really tells.
Growing dark numbers
According to SSI, this is the first time in a long time that the infection is higher in the Region of Southern Denmark and the North Jutland Region than it is in the metropolitan area.
– It is especially among children and younger adults that the infection seems to be declining, while there is an increase in the infection rates among the age group 50 to 79 years.
Department chief physician Rebecca Legarth of SSI, however, states in one press release that the capital region has an increase in the positive percentage of coronaster.
– It may indicate that it is growing dark numbers, says Legarth.
– Last wave
In Denmark, all measures were removed with the aim of limiting the spread of the omicron variant on 1 February.
The Danish pandemic expert Lone Simonsen, also from Roskilde University, told Dagbladet on Monday that she sees this winter’s wave of infection as the latest.
– This is due to the fact that we are now in a situation where the vast majority have been offered a third vaccine dose, in addition to the fact that immunity has been strengthened by having undergone infection with the omicron variant. It bodes well for the future, Simonsen said.
The fact that the infection is now declining in the Capital Region of Denmark may indicate that the peak of infection has been reached here.
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Oslo remains the highest
Health Director Bjørn Guldvog in the Norwegian Directorate of Health told Dagbladet on Thursday that the Danes are ahead of Norway in the spread of infection, and that this is one of the arguments for waiting to repeal, among other things, the controversial meter and bandage in Norway.
– When we are there, that we can see that we are probably at the top, then it will be possible to ease the measures, because then we have good reason to believe that we will not get a further increase, said Guldvog.
Up to 300,000 may be infected now
According to FHI’s weekly report for week four, it was still Oslo that reigned supreme with infection pressure in this country. There were 3442 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants in the current week. However, it is a decrease from week three, when Oslo registered 3530 cases per. 100,000.
The second highest infection pressure in Norway in week four was registered in the large county of Viken, with 3225 cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants – up from 3008 the week before.