The World Well being Group’s (WHO) regional director for Europe mentioned on Thursday (February 3) that Europe’s COVID-19 scenario was coming into a “believable endgame.”
Dr. Hans Kluge made the feedback throughout a WHO convention on the standing of COVID-19 all through the area.
He added that whereas the pandemic shouldn’t be over, the European area finds itself in a novel scenario pushed by a “massive capital of immunity,” constructed up by a mixture of vaccine drives, a beneficial seasonality pause, and a decrease severity of the Omicron variant.
Kluge harassed that there is no such thing as a contradiction with the warning made by WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, on January 24 that it’s harmful to imagine that Omicron would be the final variant or that the pandemic was in its ultimate levels.
Kluge added that world vaccine solidarity is required to additional reduce the specter of COVID-19.
Some 12 million new instances had been reported prior to now week, marking the very best weekly case incidence for the reason that begin of the pandemic, largely pushed by the unfold of Omicron.
Nonetheless, the case incidence charge and general admissions to intensive care haven’t elevated considerably and the variety of deaths throughout the area is beginning to plateau, Kluge mentioned.
Within the run as much as World Most cancers Day on Friday (February 4), Kluge gave an replace on the disruption attributable to the pandemic on most cancers care, screening, and therapy.
The scenario has improved for the reason that first quarter of final yr, “however the knock-on impact of this disruption can be felt for years,” Kluge mentioned.