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The municipality of Oslo is experiencing the highest number of new cases of infection since April. Dagbladet is informed that this is an overall greater spread of infection and that up to 30 percent of infection cases have unknown routes of infection.
– When there are so many local outbreaks, it is clear that the infection is coming from somewhere. It has some general spread of infection when it cannot find the infection routes in 30 percent of cases, assistant health director Espen Rostrup Nakstad tells Dagbladet.
– It seems that you can handle the infection when it appears as an outbreak, but we are concerned that the infection, which goes back to the outbreaks, will continue to spread and that therefore the number of infections does not decrease, it continues.
Unknown routes of infection
Cases of infection by an unknown route of infection were some of the reasons Norway introduced measures on March 12. At the time, this was said to enter a new phase of the epidemic.
In recent weeks, cases of infection by unknown routes of infection have also been reported in Bergen. Last week, Director Camilla Stoltenberg of the National Institute of Public Health described this as serious.
– It is always very serious, and we will try to find the ways of contagion. In such situations, generalized testing will be introduced and it will be assessed whether there is reason to try to find out if there are more infections than are known, Stoltenberg told Dagbladet.
Health Director Bjørn Guldvog explained to Dagbladet that when you know the routes of infection, you have a better chance of quarantining people who have been exposed to the risk of infection.
– It is one of the most important details. This is something that we follow in all outbreaks, that is, if there are many new cases of contagion for which the routes of contagion are unknown.
Worst since april
The municipality of Oslo states in its latest weekly report that last week it registered more than 200 cases for the first time since April. In the last 14 days, the districts of Old Oslo, St. Hanshaugen, Alna and Sagene have been the most affected. In all, 171 of 447 cases are in the last 14 days in their 20s.
Nakstad fears the regional spread of the infection.
– The spread of infection will eventually leak out of Oslo and cause a regional infection if it takes too long. It is a situation that we do not want and that will make the reopening of society even more difficult. It is difficult to proceed with the reopening while there are such high infection rates in Oslo.
– Is it necessary to take stricter measures again?
– The strategy is to reduce the infection locally, as in Bergen. Measures are put into practice where they are needed, so that problems are solved where they are, in order to avoid more intrusive national measures.
In its latest risk assessment, the National Institute of Public Health announced that they will intervene if the spread of the infection reaches a regional level.
“We believe that it is necessary to raise awareness about the danger of the transition from local outbreaks to regional outbreaks. If an outbreak in one municipality has ramifications for several others, the management is significantly complicated and therefore also the danger of losing the control “.
Testing capacity
The municipality of Oslo has greatly increased its testing capacity since the summer and plans to be able to test up to five percent of the population. Increased testing capacity combined with increased spread of infection puts greater pressure on health service infection monitoring and testing teams.
Nakstad believes that it would have been better for everyone to reduce the number of infections.
– Since we now have so much contact with each other, and since we are so on the move, each case may have several hundred suspicious close contacts. It is a very big job and the municipalities can do it, but it is very demanding.
Admissions
In the last two weeks, about 750 cases a week have been registered in Norway. In the previous four weeks, about 350 cases were reported per week. But even though the spread of the infection has increased, Norway has not seen a dramatic increase in the number of hospital admissions.
– If we achieve control of outbreaks, there is a good chance that the number of admissions will not develop drastically. But if this continues over time and the numbers increase, then more seniors will likely eventually become infected, leading to more admissions. But we are working to avoid it in Norway, says Nakstad.
