Cumulative reported deaths are expected to reach more than 2.2 million by next spring (File)
Copenhagen:
The World Health Organization says Europe remains “under solid control” of Covid and the death toll on the continent could reach 2.2 million this winter if current trends continue. custom, the World Health Organization said on Tuesday.
About 700,000 people could die in the coming months, the WHO said, as cases spread across Europe, prompting some countries to reintroduce tough restrictions.
WHO expects “high or extreme stress in intensive care units (ICUs) in 49 of 53 countries between now and 1 March 2022”.
“The cumulative reported death toll is predicted to reach more than 2.2 million by next spring,” it added, up from 1.5 million currently.
According to the WHO report, Covid-19 is the leading cause of death across Europe and Central Asia, citing figures from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
The rise in Europe was driven by a combination of the highly contagious Delta variant, inadequate vaccination coverage and the easing of measures such as wearing masks and keeping physical distance, it said.
According to WHO data, the number of Covid-related deaths last week rose to nearly 4,200 a day, double the 2,100 deaths a day at the end of September.
The WHO also says there is growing evidence that protection against infections and minor illnesses caused by vaccines is dwindling.
“The Covid-19 situation across Europe and Central Asia is dire. We face a challenging winter ahead,” WHO Europe regional director Hans Kluge said in a statement. declare.
He called for a “plus vaccine” approach, which includes vaccinations, social distancing, mask use and hand washing.
The WHO says masks reduce the incidence of Covid by 53% according to a recent study, and “more than 160,000 deaths could be prevented (as of March 1) if global mask coverage was 95″. %”.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
