Europe and Central Asia could suffer another 700,000 Covid deaths by spring as infections soar, WHO says



A patient suffering from the coronaviruses disease is receiving treatment at the Intensive Care Unit of the "Klinikum Darmstadt" clinic in Germany.

Europe and Central Asia could see more than 2.2 million deaths of Covid-19 by March of next year, as countries battle a surge of the highly transmissible delta variant, according to a statement released Tuesday.

The WHO said that the Covid death toll has passed 1.5 million in 53 countries and that the disease is now the leading cause of death in Europe and Central Asia. The region is experiencing more deaths per day than at the end of September.

Europe, Israel, Turkey, and the Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are all covered by the WHO regional office.

Dr. Hans Henri Kluge, the WHO's regional director for Europe, said that in order to live with this virus, we need to take a vaccine plus approach. Getting the standard doses of vaccine, taking a booster if offered, as well as incorporating preventive measures into our normal routines is what this means.

The statement blamed the surge on the unvaccinated population and the decision of many countries to roll back mask wearing and social distancing. The World Health Organization warned that winter could cause an outbreak in Europe because people gather close together indoors with poor air quality.

Kluge called on the public to help avoid disruptions to the economy by taking precautions, including the use of facial coverings, physical distance, as well as testing and contact tracing. The statement urged countries to consider administering booster doses to health-care personnel and anyone over the age of 60.

Between now and March 22, the WHO predicts that 49 of the region's 53 countries will experience high or extreme stress on their intensive care units. 25 countries are projected to be affected by high or extreme stress on hospital beds.
The seven-day total of 1.1 million new cases was measured by the WHO. More than 2 million new cases were reported in the week ended November 21. According to the most recent weekly epidemiological update from the WHO, approximately 70% of all Covid cases worldwide during that period.

According to a CNBC analysis, Germany set a new record for the number of new cases in a single day on Monday. Russia reported a record-high seven-day average of almost 1,218 daily Covid deaths.

Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg enacted a nationwide vaccine mandate after infections in Austria. The government in Vienna said it would last no more than 20 days. The Netherlands implemented a partial lock down on Saturday, closing some businesses early and preventing fans from attending sporting events for three weeks.

The outgoing German Chancellor called for harsher measures to control the wave of infections in Europe's largest economy.