COVID-19 continues upward trend in Europe

[onthedarkside]

 

Europe's COVID cases showed more signs of rising last week, marking the first regionwide spike since the most recent BA.5 wave, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said in a weekly update.

 

In the past, increasing cases in Europe have come ahead of similar rises in other regions, so trends in Europe are a closely watched global indicator.

 

Cases in people ages 65 and older rose 9% compared to the previous week, which the ECDC said was led by recent increases in 14 of 26 countries in the European Union that reported data. Deaths continued a decreasing trend.

...

In the United Kingdom, most COVID indicators rose last week compared to the previous week, the Health Security Agency (HSA) said, pointing out that hospitalizations are highest in those ages 85 and older and that officials have seen a large spike in hospitalizations in those older than 80.

...

Mary Ramsay, MBBS, who directs the HSA's public health programs, said, "It is clear now that we are seeing an increase which could signal the start of the anticipated winter wave of COVID-19."

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/09/covid-19-continues-upward-trend-europe

 

 

Also:

https://covid19-country-overviews.ecdc.europa.eu/index.html

 

https://covid19-country-overviews.ecdc.europa.eu/key_epidemiological_indicators.html

 

And regarding the U.K.:

 

 

 

 

 

[baboon]

At this point, I don't see what alternative we have other than take it on the chin. Lockdown again? We can't afford it and it isn't like Europe is not further up financial sh#t creek with the awful ongoing situation in Ukraine. 

Edited October 1, 2022 by baboon

[Credo]

21 minutes ago, baboon said:

At this point, I don't see what alternative we have other than take it on the chin. Lockdown again? We can't afford it and it isn't like Europe is not further up financial sh#t creek with the awful ongoing situation in Ukraine. 

You may be right.  I don't foresee any drastic measures unless it would somehow mutate into something that is significantly more dangerous or not treatable.  As it now stands, we have vaccines and boosters, including a specific one for the most common sub-variants.  I know it is available in the US but I don't know if it is in Europe.  There are also antiviral medications that can help people not end up hospitalized.   

 

The problem is getting people to get the jab.  It's hard enough to get people to take the flu shot.  I suspect a strong outreach with vaccines being given at convenient locations -- like work places and in neighborhood areas.   

 

It seems we are stuck with this for a long time.   

[baboon]

Credo: 

I am NOT promoting anti-jab theory. But my mother just had her fourth jab and was literally smashed to the ground because of it.

As a personal decision, I won't bother having any more. When the time comes to die, well you die. Especially when you are over 50 like myself. 

I pray for a merciful end to my life rather than a protacted one. Let them shoot me up then wheel me out...

[Credo]

1 hour ago, baboon said:

Credo: 

I am NOT promoting anti-jab theory. But my mother just had her fourth jab and was literally smashed to the ground because of it.

As a personal decision, I won't bother having any more. When the time comes to die, well you die. Especially when you are over 50 like myself. 

I pray for a merciful end to my life rather than a protacted one. Let them shoot me up then wheel me out...

My original shots were Pfizer and I had virtually no side effects.  My booster was with Moderna and that had a bit more punch to it.  I wasn't sick, but I could tell something was going on in my body.   I'll get the new one because I live in an area where vaccination rates are pretty low.   

 

If you had the original shots and get a booster from the same company, I suspect you'll have the same reaction as the original.  

 

Any way, best of luck.  

[stevenl]

9 hours ago, baboon said:

At this point, I don't see what alternative we have other than take it on the chin. Lockdown again? We can't afford it and it isn't like Europe is not further up financial sh#t creek with the awful ongoing situation in Ukraine. 

As long as the strain on health services is not overwhelming I agree.

[onthedarkside]

Rising COVID levels in Europe especially affect seniors

Oct 07, 2022

 

"COVID activity continued to rise in many European countries last week, up 14% compared to the previous week in people ages 65 and older, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said [Friday] in a regular update.

 

In the United States, COVID indicators continue to fall, with the BA.5 Omicron variant still dominant, but newer subvariants are slowly making more of a mark.

 

The pooled rate in Europe for all age-groups has been rising for the past 3 weeks, and the impact on seniors is leading to rising hospital indicators.

 

However, deaths—often a lagging indicator—continue to fall, and the ECDC noted that deaths declined 10% last week compared to the week before. The agency said forecasts predict that deaths will start showing an increasing trend in the middle of October."

 

(more)

 

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2022/10/rising-covid-levels-europe-especially-affect-seniors

 

[onthedarkside]

And a parallel discussion regarding the U.S.'s prospects from Johns Hopkins:

 

"FALL/WINTER SURGE POTENTIAL Experts are keeping an eye on whether the United States will experience a surge in SARS-CoV-2 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths during the fall and winter seasons, a potential that looks increasingly likely.

 

Several factors point to a forthcoming wave: the number of new cases is rising in Europe, and the US historically has followed that region’s trend; several emerging SARS-CoV-2 Omicron sublineages appear to be more capable of evading immune system protection and therapies...; individual immunity—from vaccination or prior infection—continues to wane, primary vaccinations have stalled, and booster uptake is slow; and policy and behavioral changes have limited the positive impact of previously implemented mitigation measures, such as mask use and physical distancing."

 

AND

 

"WHO officials recently indicated that they are currently monitoring more than 300 Omicron sublineages.

 

Several of these sublineages are particularly concerning, including BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 that evolved from BA.5 and BA.2.275 and XBB that evolved from BA.2. ... All 4 of these sublineages exhibit resistance to existing treatments and vaccines, and the XBB sublineage, in particular, threatens to render existing vaccines ineffective."

 

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/--COVID-19-Updates---October-6--2022.html

 

 

 

[onthedarkside]

A strong fall COVID booster campaign could save 90,000 U.S. lives and avoid more than 936,000 hospitalizations, study finds

 

A strong fall COVID booster campaign could save about 90,000 people living in the U.S. from dying of the virus and avoid more than 936,000 hospitalizations, according to a new study by the Commonwealth Fund.

 

As immunity wanes and new variants that can evade protection from early vaccines emerge, surges in hospitalizations and deaths are increasingly likely this fall and winter, the authors wrote. That makes it important that people get the bivalent boosters recently authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and help stop transmission, they wrote.

...

As of Oct. 3, some 68% of the U.S. population has had primary shots, but fewer than half of those have received a booster dose, and only 36% of those aged 50 and older have had a second booster."

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/medical/a-strong-fall-covid-booster-campaign-could-save-90000-us-lives-and-avoid-more-than-936000-hospitalizations-study-finds/ar-AA12D110

 

 

And from the source report:

 

"If vaccination continued at its current pace through the end of March 2023, a potential winter surge in COVID-19 infections could result in a peak of around 16,000 hospitalizations and 1,200 deaths per day by March 2023. Under both scenarios modeled, we found an aggressive fall booster vaccination campaign could prevent COVID-19 deaths from exceeding 400 per day."

 

https://www.commonwealthfund.org/blog/2022/fall-covid-19-booster-campaign-could-save-thousands-lives-billions-dollars

 

[still kicking]

On 10/2/2022 at 1:24 AM, Credo said:

You may be right.  I don't foresee any drastic measures unless it would somehow mutate into something that is significantly more dangerous or not treatable.  As it now stands, we have vaccines and boosters, including a specific one for the most common sub-variants.  I know it is available in the US but I don't know if it is in Europe.  There are also antiviral medications that can help people not end up hospitalized.   

 

The problem is getting people to get the jab.  It's hard enough to get people to take the flu shot.  I suspect a strong outreach with vaccines being given at convenient locations -- like work places and in neighborhood areas.   

 

It seems we are stuck with this for a long time.   

I had 4 shots plus the flu shot as well never had any problems at all did not even feel the needle and I am 75