Covid-19: Pandemic ‘firmly grips’ Europe, may kill 700,000 more by March, says WHO
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that the Covid-19 pandemic has ‘firmly gripped’ Europe and the current trends show that it may kill around 700,000 more people in the Continent, taking its total death toll 2.2 million by spring next year.
The global health watchdog said these 700,000 people could die by March 1 in the 53 countries in the European region, where 1.5 million had already died because of the pandemic.
“Cumulative reported deaths are projected to reach over 2.2 million by spring next year, based on current trends,” the WHO said on Tuesday.
This report came when thousands of fresh infections are reported daily in many countries across Europe, protesters are on the roads against inoculation, Austria has already re-imposed nationwide lockdown, and the US has advised its citizens against travel to Germany and the Netherlands.
WHO also expected “high or extreme stress in intensive care units (ICUs) in 49 out of 53 countries of Europe between now and March 1, 2022.”
Several factors contributed to Europe’s recent return to the epicenter of the pandemic. They included slow vaccination in some nations, the surging Delta variant, colder weather forcing people indoors, and easing of restrictions.
Until now, only 67.7 percent of the European Union’s population is fully vaccinated. Compared to Portugal’s 86.7 percent full vaccination, only 24.2 percent of Bulgarians are fully inoculated.
WHO data showed the number of pandemic-related deaths increased in Europe last week to around 4,200 a day, up from 2,100 daily in end-September. Also, vaccines’ protection against infection and mild disease was eroding, it added.
Many countries, including Greece, France, and Germany, are considering a third booster shot for declaring a person fully vaccinated.
Germany’s outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel regretted that her country is doing too little to stop its “highly dramatic” fourth wave of the pandemic. France is staring at the fifth wave of the pandemic.
A German Defence Ministry spokesperson said coronavirus vaccinations will be added to the list of mandatory vaccines for soldiers “soon”. With this, troops would be the first German public servants required to get vaccinated.
Because of the rise in infections and hospitalizations, Germany is likely to follow Austria and set mandatory vaccination requirements for all citizens. Vienna has already closed shops, restaurants, and holiday markets, the most drastic restrictions ahead of Christmas in Europe.
Israel, part of the WHO’s European region, began vaccinations on Tuesday for children aged five to 11. It said nearly half of the recently confirmed cases were among children under 11 years of age.
The WHO cited a recent study as saying that face masks reduced Covid-19 incidence by 53 percent and that 95 percent universal mask coverage could prevent over 160,000 deaths by March 1.
