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If Europe does not change its policies, there will be a third wave in early 2021. This is what David Nabarro, special envoy for the pandemic of the World Health Organization, tells Swiss newspapers.
“Now we have the second wave. If governments don’t take appropriate action, we will soon have a third wave. ‘ And looking at the data, you have to believe him. After a brief period in which the infection rate decreased, the situation worsened again: Germany and France On Saturday there was an increase in cases with 33,000 new infections in total, Switzerland and Austria they have thousands of cases every day.
According to Nabarro in particular, the case of Switzerland. The reference is to too many openings – including the decision not to close the ski resorts – and to the failure of the health facilities to adapt to the second wave of the virus. In fact, there is talk of 5 thousand daily infections, on average, in the last week and worrying growth rates. “We are seeing growing signs that healthcare systems are overwhelmed” by the wave of Covid-19. Has been reported “that in France, for example, intensive care units were 95% “occupied” capacity for 10 days and in Switzerland the intensive care units are at full capacity, “said Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe on Friday, during a meeting where he updated on the situation of SARS-Cov-2 in The Old Continent. Nabarro’s attention focused mainly on the situation in French-speaking Switzerland, judged as “extremely serious, with a very high number of cases and hospitals forced to face a real overload. A” much more solid strategy is needed by the authorities and neighbors, “said the WHO doctor, who requested” total isolation in case of contagion “and greater controls by the health authorities. To explain his position, Nabarro cited the story of his acquaintances in the French-speaking Switzerland, unable to trace the contagion that made them positive. “We need to define responsibilities more clearly. I am surprised that Covid is not treated as a national emergency, “he concluded.
To give the alert too an OSCE report entitled “Health at a glance: Europe 2020”, the result of a collaboration with the European Commission to improve the specific knowledge of each EU country on health issues. “Europe must prepare better to get out of new and rigorous containment measures” of the contagion of the coronavirussays the report. The organization emphasizes, firstly, that, with the new wave of infections and the reintroduction of containment measures to flatten the curve of the epidemic, “it is essential that policy makers plan effective strategies to reopen their economies and avoid further lockdowns.” . In this sense, the testing, tracking and isolation policies would be much more effective and easier for people to follow, as well as better social distancing measures. The report also demonstrates the effective contribution of the ban on large gatherings, the promotion of smart work, the obligation to wear masks, and the limitations on opening restaurants, shops, and other closed public places in reducing infections. “The recent news of a vaccine is encouraging, but tackling this pandemic is a marathon, not a sprint.”, says the Secretary General of the OECD, Angel Gurría. “International collaboration will be essential to ensure mass production and widespread distribution of the vaccine. But countries must also strengthen their support for the health sector and workers and expand the scope and effectiveness of testing, traceability and isolation policies.
The report also highlights persistent Difficulty protecting older people and, in particular, those with neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and highlights the shortage of health workers in many countries before the crisis, as well as the need to create additional spare capacity that can be mobilized quickly in times of crisis. Finally we invite you to stay active primary and specialized care, perhaps for people suffering from chronic diseases other than Covid-19, and surgical interventions or cancer diagnoses and treatments. Finally, the report calls for other important health risk factors to be addressed, notably air pollution, which causes hundreds of thousands of deaths each year in EU countries.
Nabarro praised the response from Asian countries such as South Korea, where infections are now relatively low: “Everyone is compromised: they keep their distance, put on masks, isolate the sick, wash their hands and clean surfaces. They also protect the weak. “Nabarro also said that Asia has not loosen restrictions unlike what Europe has done. In fact, South Korean authorities have decided to strengthen social distancing measures in the Seoul area and the Southwest region. in the face of the increase in new coronavirus infections.
November 22, 2020 (change November 22, 2020 | 12:14)
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