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Is the epidemic angry in Belgium?
For weeks, Belgium has had the highest death rate from coronavirus in the total population, with 735 deaths per million people reported by authorities in the country on Friday. Belgium is even hundreds of people ahead of the epicenter, Spain (558 dead / 1 million people) and the United States (232 dead / 1 million people).
Recently, President Donald Trump also projected the numbers at a press conference, sparking public outrage in Belgium, among others.
Belgium ranks eighth on the list of nominal deaths, followed by Brazil and Germany, with 8,521 people killed in the epidemic on Friday.
The methodology is different
According to the Belgian authorities, there is no doubt that the epidemic in their country would be more devastating than any other country, they believe that the data is more likely to be reported more correctly than in any other country.
This is the difference between public health and political motivation. […] We report numbers much more correctly
Steven Van Gucht, a Belgian virologist, told the BBC.
Among other things, the Belgian methodology is unique in that it records not only deaths in which the deceased was shown to be infected with a coronavirus, but also those in which only one infection was suspected.
In Belgium, more than 8,500 people have died from the coronavirus so far, and 53% of the dead have died in nursing homes, according to a British news channel, but only 16% have been diagnosed with a real coronavirus infection. .
This means that the Belgians recorded more than 4,000 deaths, where he was suspected of having a coronavirus infection, but no tests were performed on the patient.
Belgian public opinion is divided on the effectiveness of the methodology: Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès believes there may be a disproportionate number of false positives in the country due to statistics, but Steven Van Gucht, who told the BBC, is of the opinion contrary. The professor believes that actual death rates could be much higher even than the Belgians add to the assumptions.
Not all statistics are flawed
The BBC also draws attention to the fact that Belgium has significantly more nursing home residents than the regional average; In the Western European country, 71 out of every 1000 people over 65 are cared for at home. By contrast, in Germany, for example, 54 out of every 1,000 people live in nursing homes over the age of 65 in France, 51 in the United Kingdom and 44 in the United Kingdom.
As is well known, a significant proportion of coronavirus infections and epidemic deaths were recorded in nursing homes in Europe: according to The Guardian, 47-52% of deaths occurred in nursing homes in European countries. They also note that the number of deaths from the coronavirus in many nursing homes may not have been reported.
Belgium recognized that it was not adequately prepared for epidemiological control in nursing homes: for a long time, staff visited particularly vulnerable older people who needed care without any protective equipment.
Then in April, residents and nursing home staff began undergoing extensive testing:
According to Reuters, a total of 14% coronavirus infection was found among residents and staff of Belgian nursing homes.
Here they also relax
Although the epidemic was far from over, the Belgians also decided to ease the restrictions.
Coronavirus restrictions have been in place in Belgium since March 18, as in many other countries, where non-vital workers have been sent home and their departure has only been allowed in justified cases. All stores were closed except grocery stores. Police deployed drones in addition to patrols to enforce restrictions.
Belgium plans to lift the restrictions in four steps, with the first phase implemented this week. Sewing shops will be opened, the sport will be re-authorized (limited to two people), and from next week all shops will reopen, and from May 18, schools will also reopen.
Cafes, restaurants and tourism will only resume in June.
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