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COPENHAGEN: The World Health Organization (WHO) expects Europe to experience an increase in the daily number of deaths from COVID-19 in October and November, the head of the European branch of the body told AFP.
Cases in Europe have increased considerably in recent weeks, especially in Spain and France. On Friday alone (September 11), more than 51,000 new cases were reported in the 55 countries monitored by WHO in Europe, which is more than the highest peak in April, according to the organization.
“It’s going to get more difficult. In October, November, we will see more mortality,” said WHO Director for Europe Hans Kluge.
Although the continent is experiencing an increase in cases, the number of deaths has remained relatively stable. But the resurgence is expected to lead to an increase in daily deaths, the WHO said.
“It is a time when countries do not want to hear this bad news, and I understand it,” Kluge told AFP in an interview, stressing that he wanted to send the “positive message” that the pandemic “is going to end. one. moment or another. “
More than 50 WHO member states in Europe will hold an online meeting on Monday and Tuesday to discuss their response to the coronavirus and agree on their overall five-year strategy.
However, Kluge, based in Copenhagen, issued a warning to those who believe that the development of a vaccine will end the pandemic.
READ: WHO chief urges rich nations to join COVID-19 vaccine scheme before Friday deadline
“I hear all the time: ‘The vaccine is going to be the end of the pandemic.’ Of course not!” said the Belgian.
“We don’t even know if the vaccine is going to help all population groups. Now we are getting some signals that it will help one group and not the other,” he said.
“And then if we have to order different vaccines, what a logistical nightmare!
“The end of the pandemic is the moment when we, as a community, are going to learn to live with this pandemic. And it depends on us and that is a very positive message,” he said.
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Kluge warned of the over-politicization of approaches, saying it was important that the response be based “on epidemiological and public health data.”
He also defended the authorities who have been reluctant to impose and make the measures more flexible in recent months in the face of a new disease.
“The WHO has been blamed several times, but communicating something that is not really known is very, very difficult,” Kluge said.
“For some you do too little, for others you go too far,” he said.
READ: Pandemic preparedness panel criticizes collective non-compliance with warnings
According to Kluge, as research progresses, knowledge of the virus remains imperfect, which means that decisions must be made with an incomplete picture.
“In several countries we see that politics overwrites scientists and also in several other countries we see that people doubt science, that is very dangerous,” Kluge said.
In WHO-covered countries in Europe, the number of daily deaths has remained at roughly the same level since the beginning of June, with around 400 to 500 deaths per day related to COVID-19, data from the agency showed.
Despite the worrying trend, responses now shouldn’t be the same as those taken in winter and early spring.
“In February we were targeting society … now we are targeting the virus,” Kluge said, adding that now measures could be imposed at a more local level.
“If we have a good surveillance system, we should be able to monitor it locally and then in a couple of weeks, relax again,” Kluge said.
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