COVID-19 cases in Europe could reach '4 to 5 times' higher by January 2021, warns WHO

As European nations are recording record spikes in daily cases of COVID-19, World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that daily death toll on continent could reach “four to five times higher” by January 2021 than that in April 2020. Most countries that had mand to flatten curve of COVID-19 spread through stringent lockdowns in spring had started relaxing restrictions. However, since this week, nations including Germany, France and Czech Republic have begun reporting record case numbers.

In wake of resurgence of COVID-19 cases, WHO Europe director Hans Kluge in media briefing explained ‘epidemiological situation’ on continent. He ted that fall/winter surge has continued to unfold in Europe with “exponential increases in daily cases and matching percent increases in death rates.”

WHO Europe director said, “ evolving epidemiological situation in Europe raises great concern: daily numbers of cases are up, hospital admissions are up, COVID-19 is w fifth leading cause of death and bar of 1000 deaths per day has w been reached.”

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Calling it a “great concern”, Kluge said that “daily cases are up” along with hospital admissions. Moreover, WHO Europe director ted that COVID-19 is “w fifth leading cause of death and bar of 1,000 deaths per day has w reached.” He said that Europe has registered highest weekly incidence of COVID-19 since pandemic began earlier this year as nearly 700,000 cases were reported. 

Hans Kluge said, “Projections from reliable epidemiological models are t optimistic. se models indicate that prolonged relaxing policies could propel – by January 2021 – daily mortality at levels 4 to 5 times higher than what we recorded in April.”

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COVID-19 surge in Europe surpasses US

As per reports, new cases in Europe’s five most-affected nations, that also make up a similar population as United States, was at least 42 per cent more than that increase in US in week to October 13. Johns Hopkins University’s seven-day rolling aver of new cases of COVID-19 in US stood at 49,542 on October 13. However,  in France, UK, Russia, Spain and Nerlands, daily aver rise on same day stood at 70,158. population of se five European nations is reportedly 343 million, while US population is 331 million.

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