If Covid-19 disappears in the memory of thousands of people, the virus remains. In recent weeks, a resurgence in the number of Covid-19 cases has affected Europe and the United States.
The proportion of European patients with respiratory diseases infected with Covid-19 has increased fivefold over the past eight weeks, and the number of patients hospitalized with Covid-19 has also increased. Spain contributes to 50% of the samples tested positive in Europe.
Across the Atlantic, emergency room visits for Covid-19 have increased by 15.7% in recent weeks. Virus levels are on track to surpass last summer’s rise and approach the peak of last winter’s rise, the strongest resurgence, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC United).
“No worrisome signals”
However, this wave is not alarming. All variants in circulation are sub-lineages of the Omicron variant, which share the same characteristics: high transmissibility certainly, but no greater virulence. In its latest bulletin of August 5, Santé Publique France assures: In France, the plural form does not exist no worrying signals in relation to public health
“.
These variants are not the only ones responsible. In Europe, the World Health Organization points out travel for holidays, mass gatherings such as major sports tournaments and music festivals, and less competition from respiratory illnesses
like flu, more present in winter. The heat wave that swept across the United States and forced Americans to stay at home would also have encouraged the spread of the virus.
Despite peaks in winter, Covid-19 is not a seasonal virus and circulates all year round. In the midst of the summer wave, the WHO European Department reminded on August 2 that inoculation with a new vaccine against Covid-19 remains a means highly effective
to reduce the number of hospitalizations and deaths among people at high risk.
