The incidence of coronavirus in Europe will increase sharply in the coming weeks due to the growing prevalence of the delta variant, the EU’s disease agency warned on Friday, predicting that by August 1, the number of new infections will increase fivefold.
In the coverage area – which includes the European Union, Norway and Iceland – the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) expects 420 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the week ending August 1, compared to just under 90 last week. weekly report.
By next week, the number of new cases is expected to exceed 620 per 100,000 inhabitants.
“The continuing deterioration of the epidemiological situation in many countries is expected to continue in view of the rapid growth of the delta option,” the ECDC report said.
Hospitalizations and deaths are also expected, albeit at a slower pace, according to the ECDC, due to the deployment of vaccination campaigns.
Currently, the number of hospitalizations in most countries remains stable, but the number of deaths associated with COVID-19 is expected to again exceed 10 per 1,000,000 inhabitants compared to 6.8 last week, the agency said.
ECDC said it predicted an increase in cases in 20 countries and an increase in deaths in nine: Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.
“In the most affected countries, the sharpest growth and highest reporting rates were among those aged 15 to 24, with a limited increase among those over 65,” the ECDC said in a statement.
Although these figures are projections, according to the EU agency, this level corresponds to the peak values in the second half of 2020 and in April 2021.
Between 5 and 11 July, the number of new cases in the European Union jumped by more than 60%, increasing for the second week in a row, according to ECDC, due to “weakening non-pharmaceutical interventions” and increasing the prevalence of delta, first detected in India.