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Update
The World Health Organization (WHO) fears an additional 500,000 deaths linked to Covid-19 in Europe by February. The zone would once again have become the epicenter of the Covid and the rate of transmission of the virus is of concern. A situation linked in particular to the low vaccination rate in Eastern European countries and to a relaxation of barrier gestures.
Patients treated in the hospital parking lot due to a lack of available beds. In eastern Romania, the staff can no longer cope. “We spent the whole night in the car with my mother, which is connected to an oxygen tank“, explains a woman. In Romania, Russia or Ukraine, intensive care units are overwhelmed and the number of deaths is increasing. In particular, an excessively low vaccination rate. “In eastern countries, we are at too low vaccine coverage levels, around 30 to 40%, which does not prevent complications in unvaccinated people with Covid “, explains the professor Antoine Flahaut, epidemiologist in Geneva.
Also involved, the relaxation of health restrictions. While on other continents, the incidence rate drops or stagnates, in Europe, it has been climbing sharply since September. WHO says it is very worried. “If we stay on this trajectory, we could have half a million more deaths by February.“, says Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. For the organization, it is urgent to strengthen vaccination and the wearing of masks throughout Europe.