Covid-19: Europe thought it was done with Covid-19. But the virus is not done with Europe
Covid-19: Europe thought it was done with Covid-19. But the virus is not done with Europe

Covid-19: Europe thought it was done with Covid-19. But the virus is not done with Europe

The country’s daily number of cases – around 55,000 a day – is still less than a third of what it was during the Omicron peak, but cases are rising as fast as they fell just two weeks earlier when the self-isolation rules for infected people ended in United Kingdom.

Daily cases are also on the rise in more than half of the EU countries. They have risen 48% in the Netherlands. On Tuesday, Germany reported one record high seven-day incidence in Covid-19 cases of 1,585.4 Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people, days before the government has to consider easing some restrictions.

The situation has caught the eyes of US public health experts, who are concerned that Europe’s rise in infections could be a foretaste of what is to happen in the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that his British colleagues have linked the increase in cases to a combination of three factors: the more transferable BA.2 variant; the opening of society and people mingling more indoors without masks; and declining immunity to vaccination or previous infection.

“Without a doubt, opening up to society and getting people to mingle indoors is definitely something that contributes, as well as generally declining immunity, which means we really have to keep our heads up and keep an eye on the pattern here.” said Fauci. “So that’s why we see this very closely.”

While the UK may provide a glimpse of the future, there are important differences that will affect how BA.2 plays out in the US, Keri Althoff, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNN.

In the UK, 86% of eligible people are fully vaccinated and 67% are boosted, compared to 69% of eligible people vaccinated and 50% boosted in the US. “What we see happening in the UK may be a better story than what we should expect here,” Althoff said.

Although the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did away with masking recommendations for most parts of the country two weeks ago, it is important to be vigilant. “We need to remain diligent in monitoring and testing it and be prepared to possibly reverse a lot of the easing of those restrictions,” said Deborah Fuller, a microbiologist at the University of Washington.

“We can not fail our guard, because the message that people get when they say ‘we lift restrictions’ is that the pandemic is over. And it is not.”

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWERED.

Q: What factors should people consider if they are to return to work personally?

A: It depends on the individual and the circumstances involved, CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen said.

“People should consider three factors. What are your medical conditions and others in your household? What is the level of Covid-19 in your community? And finally, what safety precautions are already being taken in your workplace?” Wen added. “Some offices require proof of vaccination, require regular testing, distancing and ventilation. And remember that masks are always available, even if they are not required,” she said.

Post your questions here. Are you a health worker fighting Covid-19? Send us a message on WhatsApp about the challenges you face: +1 347-322-0415.

WEEKLY READINGS

The White House is warning Congress about potential disruptions to the Covid response

The White House is raising its warning that aspects of the federal Covid-19 response will be curtailed after lawmakers failed to pass additional funding, with administration officials speaking in earnest in a call with journalists and sending a letter to congressional leaders Tuesday, It tells Betsy Klein.

Recent warnings mark an escalation of pressure from the Biden administration ahead of important funding deadlines. Additional funding for federal Covid-19 efforts was originally included in a recent massive omnibus spending package, but was removed following a dispute over how spending would be offset.

As daily affairs rise in Europe, a senior Biden administration official warned that Congress’ failure to pass a supplementary Covid-19 funding bill could leave the United States unprepared for yet another potential increase. “Our scientific and medical experts have been aware that over the next few months we could see Covid cases increase here in the United States, just as we are seeing cases increase abroad right now,” the senior official said, adding: “We is less well prepared without additional funding than we otherwise would be. ”

In China, 37 million people are locked in as the country suffers from the worst outbreak since Wuhan

China is battling its worst Covid-19 outbreak since the early days of the pandemic. This outbreak has spread much faster than previous waves of less contagious varieties, with daily cases rising from a few dozen in February to more than 5,100 on Tuesday – the highest number since the early outbreak in Wuhan in 2020.

While the number may sound low compared to other countries, it is alarmingly high for a nation that has followed a strict zero-covid policy throughout the pandemic. Five cities – together home to more than 37 million people – are now below varying levels of lockdown in China, It tells Jessie Yeung.

Authorities and state media say it is still unclear how the first few outbreaks began. However, several factors – including cases imported from abroad and the prevalence of the Omicron variant – exacerbated the severity of the outbreak nationwide.

She had a near-death experience because of Covid. But it was not a glimpse of an afterlife that changed her

In the two years since it began, the pandemic has spawned a new category of near-death experiences – told by people who say they have lived through them and returned to see the miraculous in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life, John Blake reports.

They were spiritually transformed, not by a glimpse of the afterlife, but by what they saw in this life as they struggled to stay alive after being hit by Covid.

That type of story does not usually get book or movie deals. Yet people like Paige Deiner, 41, have these incredible stories of survival that can help us all.

Start with the power of gratitude. It’s a cliché for some, but not for many Covid survivors. “I often think about how much we take for granted,” Deiner wrote in a Facebook post not long after she was discharged from the hospital in December, “from the ability to walk or swallow to breathe.”

TOP TIP

Mask mandates can be revoked in many parts of the United States, but many people will stick to them if the guidelines change. Here’s what you need to know to store masks safely and tell if they have expired:
  • Masks should be stored in a dry area, said Christopher Sulmonte, project administrator for the Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “I personally use a paper bag without sealing it because the big thing is that you want it to be recycled with air,” he said.
  • Store your face coverings using a plastic container with holes in it.
  • For fabric masks, be sure to wash them as you would with any other piece of clothing you own.
  • If you are taking a break from wearing a mask, be sure to check the expiration date, this can often be found on the outside of the boxes.

TODAY’S PODCAST

When astronaut Christina Koch embarked on her record-breaking 11-month space flight, she did not know she would return to Earth at the onset of a global pandemic. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Koch about her remarkable journey. listen up.

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