Autumn will bring the fourth wave of covids to Europe. The WHO alarm

by time news

Time.news – There are “all three conditions” for one “new wave of deaths and excess hospital pressure due to Covid-19 before autumn“, or” new variants, insufficient vaccination coverage and increased social contacts “, said Hans Kluge, director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Europe at a press conference.

Kluge said he was convinced that “there will be a new wave in the European region” and that by August the Delta variant will be dominant in Europe. Its spread is already translating into an increase in hospitalizations and deaths because vaccination coverage is insufficient in an “unacceptable” way.

“We see many countries doing well but the truth is that the average vaccination coverage in the region is only 24% and the worst thing is that half of our elderly and 40% of our healthcare workers are still unprotected“, said Kluge,” this is unacceptable and far from the recommended vaccination coverage of 80% of the population.

“With these numbers, the pandemic is by no means over and it would be very wrong for anyone – citizens and authorities – to consider it as such “, added the WHO official.

After ten consecutive weeks of decline, infections from Covid-19 returned to increase last week in Europe, raising the risk of a new wave, reiterated Kluge, according to which “there will be a new wave in the region, unless we remain disciplined”.

“The number of cases increased by 10% last week, driven by the growth of social contacts, travel and gatherings and the easing of social restrictions and this is happening in the context of a rapidly evolving situation “, warned Kluge,” in the face of a variant of concern, Delta, despite the efforts of governments, millions of people remain unvaccinated ” .

By August, when the Delta variant, according to the WHO, will be dominant in Europe, “the European population will not be fully immunized, with 63% of people still waiting for the first dose, and in August the European region will still be for the freer from restrictions, with the increase in travel and gatherings “.

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