Original title: Vaccination slowed down, and “large-scale infections” appeared in the epidemic in many European countries. The WHO warned: Europe is facing a “destructive winter”
[Global Times Comprehensive Report]How will the global new crown pneumonia epidemic develop this winter? The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Thursday that Europe is facing a “destructive winter.” According to “a reliable forecast”, if the current situation continues, between now and February 2022, another 500,000 people in Europe may die from new coronary pneumonia. The WHO European Region (including Europe and some Central Asian countries) reported 1.8 million new confirmed cases and 24,000 new deaths last week. The number of infections and deaths increased by 6% and 12% respectively from the previous week. They accounted for 59% and 48% of the confirmed cases and deaths worldwide in the same period. The WHO believes that the slowness of vaccination in some parts of Europe, especially the relaxation of prevention and control measures, is the cause of this round of new coronary pneumonia “resurgence”. Mike Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s health emergency project, said that this is also a wake-up call for the world, and he reminded countries not to repeat the same mistakes. In an interview with the Global Times, a domestic health expert believes that the United States and Europe will encounter new epidemic shock waves this winter, which will also give people a new understanding of China’s epidemic prevention and control “zero policy”. Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao stated that only when the epidemic is effectively controlled can the confidence and motivation for economic recovery be maintained. China’s practice shows that only by sparing no effort to control the epidemic can the contradiction between saving people and saving the economy be broken.
On November 4th, local time, the 2021 Paris Autumn Post Fair kicked off. This is the first postal exhibition held in Paris after two years. The picture shows visitors shopping for souvenirs at the postal exhibition.Photo by China News Agency reporter Li Yang
The European epidemic is making a comeback
“The European region is facing the real threat of the new crown pneumonia coming back,” according to Reuters, the director of the WHO European Office Kruger said on the 4th that Europe is once again at the “epicenter” of the global new crown pneumonia epidemic. “This is a year. Where we are before.” He warned that according to “a reliable forecast”, the current trajectory of the epidemic means that by February 2022, there may be “another 500,000 deaths from the new crown pneumonia” in the European region. The WHO European Regional Office is responsible for 53 countries including Europe and some Central Asian countries.
Kruger said that the current number of new confirmed cases in the European region is close to the highest level in history. This is mainly due to the lax public health and social prevention and control measures in various countries and the insufficient vaccination rate in some Eastern European countries. He emphasized that rapid and adequate testing, tracing close contacts of confirmed cases, maintaining social distancing and wearing masks can effectively prevent and control the spread of the epidemic. “Countries must now change their strategies, from reactively responding to the epidemic to rebound, to preventing them from happening in the first place.”
“Record-setting” and “new highs” have become keywords in European countries’ epidemic reports in recent days. Agence France-Presse said on the 5th that so far, about 248.6 million people worldwide have been proven to be infected with the new crown virus, and more than 5.26 million people have died from the epidemic. The United States has the most confirmed cases and deaths. However, Europe has once again become the “epicenter” of the global epidemic. Official data show that the number of new confirmed cases in Europe has increased for 6 consecutive weeks in a single day, and the number of new deaths has also increased for 7 consecutive weeks. That is, an average of 250,000 new confirmed cases and 3,600 new deaths have been added every day.
In Germany, although 66.9% of the population has completed two doses of vaccination, the epidemic has worsened sharply in recent days. Germany reported 37,120 new confirmed cases on the 5th, the largest single-day increase since the epidemic, with 154 deaths in a single day. The national incidence of infections in 7 days was as high as 169.9 among 100,000 people, which has exceeded the peak of the third wave of the epidemic this spring. The number of critically ill patients entering the ICU reached 34,000, an increase of 26% from last week. German “Bild” said on the 5th: “The new crown virus is raging again, and the fourth epidemic is hitting Germany hard.”
According to Reuters, more than 70% of the population in nine European countries including the United Kingdom and France have received two doses of the vaccine. However, research by Imperial College London shows that the infection rate in England in October still rose to a record high, mainly due to the surge in children’s cases and the worsening of the epidemic in the southwest. The infection rate in England is as high as 172 cases per 100,000 people, more than double the previous month. Studies have shown that children have the highest infection rate. From October 19th to 29th, 1 in 17 children was infected with the new crown virus. In addition, the infection rate among people 65 years and older has doubled from the previous month. France notified 10,050 new confirmed cases on the 4th, and the number of new cases in a single day has exceeded 10,000 again since September. The French government announced on the same day that 39 provinces will resume the mandatory use of masks in schools. On November 5th, French Prime Minister Castel inspected the Covid-19 Intensive Care Unit of the Montpellier University Medical Center in Paris. He said: “Whether it is in France or other European countries, the pandemic is not over. Now is not the time to relax our vigilance.”
According to the Irish Daily, the number of new confirmed cases in a single day in Western European countries such as Britain, France and Germany with high vaccination rates continues to set a record, while many Eastern European countries with low vaccination rates are struggling to cope with the rising number of deaths. In the past week, the death toll in Russia reached 8,162, and 3,819 in Ukraine. Romania, with a population of only 19 million, has a vaccination rate of about 30%. There were 489 new deaths on the 4th, and 3,100 new deaths in the past week, setting a world record for the proportion of new deaths. According to the World Health Organization, taking into account the number of deaths caused by complications directly or indirectly related to the new coronavirus, the total death toll is estimated to be two to three times higher than the official figure.
“This is a wake-up call to the world“
“This is a wake-up call for the world.” According to Singapore’s Lianhe Zaobao, Ryan, the executive director of the WHO’s health emergency program, said in Geneva on the 4th that this (the European epidemic) was due to people mistakenly thinking that the new crown epidemic was approaching. At the end, so governments hesitate to take measures that are actually retrogressive for their own people. Ryan said: “At the moment, people seem to be stubbornly walking on a path…thinking that only a few more people need to be vaccinated and everything will end.” He believes that the reality is not the case. He called on Europe to adjust the epidemic response strategy in the next few months to avoid the collapse of the health system. He proposed resuming anti-epidemic measures such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, and expanding the number of tests. Ryan said that governments must ensure that their countries can survive the next few months to avoid another collapse of the medical system. “There are many countries that need to modify their routes… Every country needs to re-examine the anti-epidemic policy and response plan, and find and fill the loopholes in the system.”
The German weekly “Focus” stated that compared to last year, vaccines can be widely available this winter, but the European epidemic is still rapidly deteriorating, mainly due to insufficient vaccine coverage and loose public health and social epidemic prevention measures. Previously, European countries have implemented the strategy of “coexisting with the virus”. In large-scale indoor events, such as concerts and sports competitions, audiences are no longer required to wear masks.
The British “Financial Times” stated that European countries have begun to consider adopting stricter anti-epidemic measures, and people are also discussing whether to re-impose travel restrictions during the Christmas holidays. On the 4th, German Health Minister Span asked everyone to show a vaccination certificate and a nucleic acid test certificate when entering public places, and called on Germans to be vaccinated with a booster shot. Eastern European countries generally require speeding up vaccination. The Hungarian government announced that staff of state agencies will be compulsorily vaccinated, and private institutions can also compulsorily vaccinate employees if they deem it necessary; Romania, Slovakia and Poland have tightened regulations on wearing masks, requiring masks to be worn in closed public places.
The Drugs and Health Products Administration of the United Kingdom announced on the 4th that it has approved the world‘s first oral anti-coronavirus drug monabiravir developed by Merck in the United States for specific patients. The European Medicines Agency said that it will consider starting a fast-track approval for monabiravir.
However, some experts believe that oral drugs to fight the new crown should not be too optimistic. The fight against the epidemic mainly relies on prevention and control measures such as vaccination and social isolation. The so-called special medicine treatment alone is unreliable.
China strictly prevents the epidemic, “the cost may be minimal”
In recent days, there have been epidemics in parts of China. From 00:00 to 24:00 on November 4, 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps reported 78 new confirmed cases, including 10 imported cases and 68 local cases. Among them, Heilongjiang, where the epidemic is more severe, has 28 new local cases; Hebei has 10 new cases, and Liaoning has 8 new cases.
Bloomberg said that in the past two weeks, in China, which has implemented the “zero-clearing policy” for the new crown pneumonia epidemic, many provinces and cities have reported local cases. Although local government officials have taken strict measures to stop it, the highly contagious Delta strain is still spreading across the country. However, reports say that Zhong Nanshan, a Chinese respiratory expert, is confident that China will control the epidemic in about a month. Regarding China’s “zero-clearing policy,” he explained that if all were opened up, the cost and price would be greater.
Singapore’s “Lianhe Zaobao” stated that the biggest feature of China’s epidemic prevention and control is its zero-tolerance policy, which clears cases to zero through severe blockades and repeated screenings. This has caused huge economic and social costs in a short period of time, but this is a price that has to be paid. However, China’s unique epidemic prevention measures have brought huge benefits. Once the cases are cleared, the economy and people’s lives will soon return to normal, enterprises will resume work and production, and the domestic economy will achieve positive growth. At the same time, China has provided a large number of anti-epidemic supplies and basic materials to the world, stabilized the supply in the global market, and consolidated China’s international status and international influence. China’s strong execution in response to the epidemic crisis has increased the confidence of multinational companies in investing in China. In the first five months of this year, China’s actual use of foreign capital achieved a year-on-year increase of 35.4%. According to the report, China’s practice shows that although strict epidemic prevention measures will cause huge social costs in the short term, the benefits are huge in the long run. Therefore, the cost of strict epidemic prevention is worthwhile. Relatively speaking, this cost Probably the smallest.
[Global Times Special Correspondent in Germany and Canada Aoki Tao Short House Global Times reporter Hao Shuangyan Chen Kang]
【Editor in charge: Hu Wenhui】
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