Three concurring factors give Europe the prospect of a possible “ceasefire” in the fight against SARS-CoV-2, said WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, at an online press conference in Copenhagen on Thursday.
The large number of vaccinations administered and natural immunizations by Omikron, the approaching end of winter and the lower disease severity of the variant. “We should understand this period of higher protection as a ‘ceasefire’ that could bring us lasting peace.”
“Don’t waste a chance”
“We shouldn’t waste this opportunity,” Kluge warned in relation to the possible future relaxation of the situation. “Any breathing space must be used immediately to empower health workers to return to other essential health functions to reduce the care backlog.”
According to the WHO Regional Director, during the hoped-for breathing space, vaccination must also be pushed further and newly emerging variants must be closely monitored in order to prepare for possible future waves. Kluge appealed for the available vaccines to be sufficiently distributed in all countries: “Let 2022 be the year of vaccine justice.”
Omicron wave rolls from west to east
The wave of the highly contagious omicron variant in Europe is currently still rolling rapidly from West to East. In one week alone there were twelve million new corona cases that were largely attributable to Omikron, said Kluge. Almost a third of all Covid 19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic have been registered this year alone.
On the occasion of World Cancer Day on Friday, Kluge referred to the “catastrophic effects” of Corona on cancer patients. “Cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment have suffered in unprecedented ways while the healthcare sector has struggled with COVID-19.” According to WHO surveys, in some European countries up to 50 percent less cancer prevention and treatment took place during the pandemic.
Source: Nachrichten
