The December workload at COVID testing centers around the world has increased significantly due to people traveling during the holiday season. Countries in Europe and the United States continue to see record daily infection rates.
The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called it a tsunami caused by the combination of two strains – Delta and Omicron. The “Omicron” variant is currently the main cause of the majority of new cases of Covid-19 worldwide. According to research, it is more contagious than any previous strain, but causes a milder form of the disease. However, according to Gebruises, “Delta” still poses a threat to the population and health systems of various countries.
According to Johns Hopkins University, a total of 284.6 million people have been infected with the coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, and 5.4 million have died. From December 22 to 28, there were 6.55 million reported cases of infection worldwide, an average of 935,000 per day, according to AFP. In reality, the number of infected people could be even higher.
France is reporting 208,000 new cases per day for the second day in a row, the highest rate of the pandemic. 53 patients with Covid-19 are in intensive care, and 184 people died on Wednesday. Johns Hopkins University reports that the average daily number of new cases in the United States last week was 265.4 thousand, and more than 440 thousand cases were registered last Monday. At the same time, the chief epidemiologist of the United States, Anthony Fauci, warned that this is not yet the peak. According to him, the highest rate of infection will occur in mid-January, considering the country’s population size and unsatisfactory vaccination rates.
Despite the record-breaking Covid-19 statistics, the United States is preparing for big New Year’s celebrations. On Wednesday, giant confetti poppers were tested in Times Square, New York. The United Kingdom, Denmark, Portugal and Australia are also experiencing record levels of illness. The statistics for the last day are as follows: “All of this is putting an incredible strain on health workers, and health systems are on the verge of collapse,” said the WHO chief.
The main negative consequence of high morbidity is currently an acute shortage of staff in key areas of activity. For example, the Fire Brigades Union of Great Britain states that approximately one-third of London’s fire engines are currently out of service due to illness and self-isolation of firefighters. Due to a similar problem in various key areas of power in Spain, the period of self-isolation was reduced from 10 to 7 days on Wednesday. At the same time, the country is experiencing a record increase in the number of cases – 1360 cases per 100,000 people (statistics from the past day).
A campaign is underway in many developed countries to provide a third, booster dose of the vaccine. In the UK, for example, 57% of people aged 12 and over have already received the vaccine. However, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing that this could have the opposite effect and prolong the pandemic on a global scale. He said that by procuring a third dose of vaccine, rich countries are creating a shortage of drugs for poor countries where not even the entire population has received the first dose. The head of the WHO believes that this will create favorable conditions for further mutations and spread of the virus.