A member of the medical workers treats a affected person affected by the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Sla
A member of the medical workers treats a affected person affected by the coronavirus illness (COVID-19) on the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Slany Hospital in Slany, Czech Republic, October 13, 2020.
David W. Cerny | Reuters
The World Well being Group mentioned Friday that Europe’s coronavirus outbreak is “regarding” because the variety of accessible intensive care beds continues to dwindle and close to capability in some areas.
When adjusting for inhabitants, the variety of new coronavirus infections in Europe has now overtaken that in the USA, with Europe reporting 187 new Covid-19 circumstances per million individuals, based mostly on a seven-day common, in contrast with 162 new Covid-19 circumstances per million individuals within the U.S.
In complete, Europe, which incorporates the 27 European Union international locations and the UK, is reporting a median of roughly 97,000 new circumstances per day, up 44% from one week in the past, in response to a CNBC evaluation of knowledge from Johns Hopkins College.
The resurgence of the virus throughout the area has prompted France to declare a public well being state of emergency. Germany and the U.Okay. additionally introduced new measures in an effort to curb the unfold of the illness.
Dr. Hans Kluge, the top of the WHO’s Europe workplace, earlier this week blamed the brand new wave of infections on individuals not complying with security measures.
However Europe is not seeing a rise solely in Covid-19 case numbers, in response to Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead. It’s also seeing a rise in hospitalizations and ICU admissions, she added.
“We all know of plenty of cities throughout Europe the place ICU capability will probably be reached within the coming weeks,” Kerkhove mentioned Friday throughout a press convention on the company’s Geneva headquarters. “That’s regarding as we strategy the flu season.”
Well being officers have repeatedly warned that they’re getting ready to battle two unhealthy viruses circulating later this yr because the Covid-19 outbreak runs into flu season. Kerkhove on Friday urged the general public to “rally” collectively, saying the world isn’t in the identical place it was six months in the past.
“We all know a lot extra,” she mentioned. “There may be plenty of comparisons now versus what we had been seeing in March. However the large distinction proper now’s that we have now testing capability elevated, we have now a public well being workforce that has elevated in comparison with the place we had been in March, we have now medical amenities who’ve beds who’re higher educated and have higher expertise of coping with Covid-19.”
She mentioned individuals ought to wash their palms repeatedly, put on masks, preserve their distance from others and keep away from going to crowded locations.
“All contribute to bringing this below management,” she mentioned. “It is plenty of issues. It is not simply the sporting of masks. Masks have to be used as a part of a complete package deal.”
“I do know that is centered on Europe, however that is in all places,” she added. “All the selections that we make each day, we have now some management over how we go about our each day lives. … Please do all of it.”
The feedback come shortly after the WHO launched interim outcomes from its Solidarity Therapeutics Trial that confirmed Gilead Sciences’ antiviral drug remdesivir had “little or no impact” on demise charges amongst hospitalized sufferers.
WHO Director-Normal Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned Friday that dexamethasone, a broadly used steroid, stays the one therapeutic that has been proven to be efficient in opposition to extreme coronavirus infections.
– CNBC’s Sam Meredith and Nate Rattner contributed to this report.