Source: China Industrial Network – Workers Daily
Original title: Under the severe impact of the new crown epidemic, the medical systems of many European and American countries are facing the risk of being “broken down” (quote)
The surge in new crown cases is difficult for public services (theme)
Liang Fan
With the spread of the mutated new coronavirus Omicron strain, many countries have ushered in a new wave of new crown confirmed cases.
The World Health Organization released a report on January 11, pointing out that between January 3 and January 9, there were more than 15 million new confirmed cases of new coronary pneumonia worldwide, and the incidence rate in Europe was still the highest. The five countries that reported the highest number of confirmed cases last week were the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Italy and India.
The surge in infections has not only caused tens of millions of people around the world to suffer from illness, but has also become an “unbearable burden” for public service facilities in many countries.
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According to data from Johns Hopkins University in the United States on the 11th local time, the number of new confirmed cases of new crowns in the United States exceeded 1.4 million on the 10th, setting a new record for the highest number of new cases in a single day since the outbreak of the epidemic in the United States.
Affected by the rapid spread of the Omicron strain, the number of hospitalizations in the United States has also increased significantly. Statistics from the U.S. Department of Health show that the number of hospitalizations due to new crown infections has reached 147,000 on the 11th, setting a record since the outbreak of the epidemic in the United States. The number of coronavirus hospitalizations across the U.S. is about double what it was two weeks ago, and nearly 24,000 intensive care beds are being used to treat patients with Covid-19, data show.
CNN quoted data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the 10th as saying that of the about 5,000 hospitals that reported data to the department on the 8th, nearly 1,200 said they were currently facing severe staff shortages, accounting for about 24%. hit a new high during the pandemic. More than 100 hospitals said they expected staffing shortages next week.
In response to the severe impact of the epidemic, health departments across the United States are taking “extraordinary measures” to allow medical staff with mild or asymptomatic symptoms of the new coronavirus to continue to work.
The California Department of Public Health issued guidance over the weekend to allow asymptomatic hospital workers who test positive for the new coronavirus to continue to work, but must wear higher-protection N95 masks during work hours and should look after the same confirmed infection. COVID-19 patients. The California Department of Public Health said the new policy is intended to alleviate a “severe manpower shortage” in the state’s health care system.
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It is not only the United States that faces the risk of “breakdown” of the medical system.
Kluge, director of the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization, said in Copenhagen, Denmark on the 11th that the mutant new coronavirus Omicron strain is sweeping the European region from west to east, and the medical and health systems of many countries in the region are facing challenges.
Of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region, 50 have now reported cases of the Omicron strain, Kluge said. Some studies predict that in the next 6 to 8 weeks, more than 50% of the population in the European region will be infected with the Omicron strain. Due to the unprecedented speed and scale of transmission and increasing hospitalizations, healthcare systems and services in many countries are under enormous pressure.
The Italian National Regional Medical Service said a few days ago that amid the surge in cases of infection with Omicron, as new crown patients increasingly occupy medical resources, there is currently no space for postoperative intensive care, and the volume of routine operations in various places has declined. 50% to 80%, even patients with tumors, are difficult to get surgery.
Susan Jona, president of the German Doctors Union, said on the 9th that most patients in the current wave of epidemics need to be admitted to emergency rooms and non-critical beds in medical institutions. She warned that with medical staff mainly devoted to caring for new crown patients admitted to non-intensive beds, patients with other diseases who should have been treated may be limited.
British Health Secretary Javid pointed out on the 7th that the British NHS will face “difficult weeks” and “challenging times” for the British public health service system. Earlier, the relevant person in charge of the British NHS issued a statement saying that the country’s public medical service system is currently in a “wartime state” and that the “Nightingale” temporary hospital has been reopened.
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In addition to the shortage of medical resources, public services such as education, transportation and even garbage collection in some countries have also been affected to varying degrees by the epidemic.
The Associated Press said on the 8th that the raging of Omicron has led to an “explosive increase” in the number of new crown infections in the United States, and is now causing basic public services to “fall apart”.
In Los Angeles, the number of fire department absences has doubled compared to the pre-pandemic average, and as of Wednesday, more than 800 police and firefighters were unable to arrive due to the new crown, resulting in extended ambulance and fire response times.
In New York City, the government has had to cut subway and garbage collection services as more and more employees are unable to go to work because of the new crown. According to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, workers such as subway drivers and ticket inspectors have recently been absent from work at a rate of 20%.
1,500 Italian school principals at all levels recently sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Draghi and Italian Minister of Education, Universities and Research Bianchi, saying that because some school employees were not vaccinated and could not be on duty, the number of employees who tested positive for nucleic acid was increasing day by day. There are difficulties in the normal operation of the school, and the students in the school cannot effectively guarantee social distance…
Although clinical data from some countries suggest that the disease caused by the Omicron strain appears to be relatively mild, this phenomenon may also be related to widespread vaccination. Kluge, director of the World Health Organization’s regional office for Europe, said on the 11th that the current primary goal remains to achieve “vaccine sharing and solidarity” across age, sector, border and political boundaries.
Responsible editor: Xiao Tian
Source: China Industry Network
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