Monday Morning News & Notes
Respiratory infections surge complicating the COVID situation in Denmark and Sweden
🇩🇰
RS virus infections are exploding in Denmark. The country is seeing the virus much earlier than ever before and as of last week in numbers roughly double anything ever recorded before. The virus usually only pops up in the winter and peaks in February. Last week an investigation by DR found 1,300 infections cases in hospitals across Denmark’s five health regions. The vast majority of those seriously infected are children. More hospitals have run out of beds, forcing parents to take their sick kids elsewhere.
Epidemiologists have warned that with COVID restrictions wiping out the usual bugs we see every year, that the natural immunity we have built up, especially for young children, would suffer. That could leave the door open for those viruses to come roaring back as restrictions are lifted and society returns to near-normal.
Next month, Denmark will begin a massive influenza vaccine campaign, which will include inoculating children aged two to six years old for the first time ever.
-
On the COVID vaccinations front, enough first doses have been administered in Denmark to cover 75.8% of the total population while 73.9% are fully vaccinated.
On Saturday, just 4,808 total inoculations were done, and of those 1,127 were first doses.
-
Denmark has added 901 COVID infections since its Thursday update. It reported 324 new infections on Friday, 325 on Friday, and then another 252 on Sunday. Sunday’s tally is the lowest number of daily infections since June 29 as the numbers continue to fall.
On Saturday there were just 49,300 total corona tests done, 29,459 PCR and 19,841 rapid, for (PCR only) positivity percentage of 0.85%.
-
Experts are searching for answers as Denmark’s COVID situation continues to improve despite the sheer dominance of the Delta variant. Friday’s low infection rates, including the lowest positivity percentage in months, has one expert reaching for the only reason he can think of, Denmark has attained herd immunity.
Aarhus Univeristy Professor Emeritus of Clinical Medicine Eskild Petersen spoke to Ritzau:
“I just cannot see that there is any other reason when we have opened up society so completely and at the same time experienced such low infection rates.”
On Friday, Denmark reported 324 coronavirus infections with 46,389 PCR tests for a positivity percentage of 0.70% the lowest since July.
-
The number of Danish kommunes with COVID incidence rates of over 100 per 100,000 residents also continues to drop like a rock. Currently there are just three, and of those just one, Herlev, has an incidence rate over 200.
-
COVID hospitalizations (98) are down (-4) since Thursday’s update. The number of infected people in an ICU (23) has also fallen (-3) and of those the number on a ventilator (16) has also dropped (-3).
In the last seven days, the 60 to 89 year old age groups have seen the most hospitalizations for COVID. There were also three children under the age of 10 admitted.
-
Region Hovedstaden (Metro Copenhagen) has adjusted opening hours at its remaining rapid test sites. As of this past Saturday, opening hours on the weekends will be from 10am until 6pm. Weekdays are unchanged. The region says it is seeing a declining testing demand and is adjusting operations accordingly.
-
As of yesterday (Sunday) Region Nordjylland has closed the PCR testing site on Niels Jernes Vej in Aalborg East. The region is reducing its COVID testing infrastructure as demands falls. The region is moving to rely more on a small fleet of mobile testing sites that it says will allow it to be more flexible in responding to outbreaks.
-
Denmark made some more changes to its COVID risk travel map over the weekend. Within the European Union only one country has shifted colour with Romania becoming ‘yellow.’
Moving to near-normal ‘green’ are the Canary Islands, a region of Spain, and the Campania region of Italy.
Outside of the EU there is only one country shifting colour this week. Uruguay has become ‘shaded orange.’ It is simpler to think of it as yellow from a what restrictions apply sense. Travelers from Uruguay can now travel to Denmark, but the shaded orange designation reflects the country’s strict entry requirements for anyone coming from Denmark.
🇸🇪
Sweden doesn’t update its COVID numbers on weekends and will table its first update of the week on Tuesday.
-
Vaccine passports will be around for several years to come especially for international travel. That is what Sweden’s State Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told Dagens Nyheter over the weekend.
“I think you will see a requirement to show proof of vaccination when traveling for a long time. That’s a requirement that could last for several years.”
An infectious disease expert agrees with Tegnell. Joakim Dillner, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet, says he, too, believes vaccine passports and COVID testing will be a staple at borders for some time to come.
“It may partly depend on what vaccination coverage looks like, but it is mainly about which countries you are at high risk of becoming infected. In Sweden, we are aware of the spread of infection, it is doubtful whether it will be in all countries. If you travel from a high-risk country, you will need to test yourself for a very long time to come, that is my opinion.”
Sweden will remove the vast majority of COVID restrictions on September 29. But while the prohibitions will be lifted within Sweden entry restrictions remain in place for most travelers arriving in the country.
-
Sweden’s capital region is still seeing way too many COVID-infected people being admitted to hospitals. Region Stockholm says there are 108 coronavirus infected people hospitalized. Even though that is a decline of 12 from the previous week, the healthcare system remains under pressure.
Acting Director Johan Bratt:
“If we reduce the spread of infection, the number of seriously ill and those dying from COVID will decrease. The best way to get there is to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. The pandemic is not over, especially for those who have not yet been vaccinated. They are many times more likely to become seriously ill and in the long run die than people who have received both doses of the vaccine.”
Making the situation worse is that “many different respiratory infections” are also circulating in Sweden and that is adding to the burden on the healthcare system.
Bratt also addressed the latest bit of misinformation, making the rounds that people who have had COVID don’t need to be vaccinated, which is not true.
“We have understood that some people give up vaccinations because they consider themselves protected because they have already had a COVID infection. I want to say to them that we do not know for sure how long and how strong antibodies from an infection last. So they should get vaccinated.”
The Stockholm region will begin vaccinating children 12 to 15 years old as of today. While vaccination appointments can be booked, the region will also be administering vaccines in schools.
-
In Västra Götaland, the region will close half of its vaccination sites as of October 11. This despite a surge in vaccination demand. P4 Gothenburg reports that areas of the region lagging behind in vaccinations are suddenly seeing an uptick, especially among younger people. The region is now actively sending text messages to everyone under the age of 50 reminding them to get vaccinated.
🇳🇴
Norway has added 2,074 infections and had no new corona deaths since its Thursday update.
COVID hospitalizations (105) are up (+5) while the number of infected people in an ICU (33) is unchanged, and of those the number on a ventilator (19) has inched downward (-1).
To date, 75.06% of Norwegians 18 years old and older have had one vaccine dose and 65.66% have had both.
-
Norway is expanding its influenza vaccination program this fall, but it still won’t be free for everyone. People in risk groups, those who are immunocompromised, healthcare workers, and others, will be offered a free vaccination. This year the program expanded to other health employees and pig breeders. However, the employer will have to bear the cost.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has also secured doses of a “fortified vaccine” for residents of nursing homes who will be able to be vaccinated for free. Similarly, children belonging to a risk group, will have access to a nasal spray vaccine that can also be immunized for free. Children not in a risk group will have to pay.
People outside those target groups will also have to pay to get their flu shots.
🇫🇮
Finland registered 943 infections over the last three days.
It updates hospitalizations and fatalities on Wednesdays.
So far, 4,104,178 1st dose vaccinations (73.3% of the total population) have been administered while 3,270,303 people (58.6%) are now fully vaccinated.
-
YLE is reporting that a new COVID variant first identified in Colombia has now been confirmed in Finland. The B.1.621 strain has been dubbed the ‘Mu variant.’
Finnish Virologist Ilkka Julkunen, Professor at Turku University, told YLE that the Mu variant most likely does not pose much of a threat compared to other coronavirus strains.
“All variants that can evade protection conferred by previous infection or vaccine-provided immunity are potentially worrying, or ones that we have to monitor, and that's the case with Mu as well. More than 90% of fully vaccinated people don't develop serious infections, so in this sense vaccines provide ample protection against variants. It's very likely that this Mu variant is the same, so it doesn't suggest any substantial additional risk or worry compared to other mutations.”
The World Health Organization listed the Mu variant as a ‘variant of interest’ on August 30 due to it having “a constellation of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape.” While the WHO adds a cautionary “this needs to be confirmed by further studies” it notes the global prevalence of the new variant has declined. There are two exceptions, in Colombia and Ecuador, where the variant continues to gain ground.
-
Finland is following its Nordic neighbours in beginning a booster shot campaign aimed at vulnerable populations. The Finnish Institute for Health has instructed municipalities to immediately begin administering a third vaccine dose to immunocompromised people 12 years old and older.
Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek:
“Studies show that for people with severe immunodeficiency, two doses of the vaccine are not enough to adequately protect against the coronavirus, so a three-dose series is recommended. The third dose complements the majority of the protection of the immunodeficient primary vaccination series to a sufficient level.”
With some exceptions, it advises the third dose to be given two months after the second vaccine shot. The exceptions for an earlier third dose include those with severe allergies, or where there are age concerns, or people who have had the AstraZeneca vaccine.
The health agency says it is preparing to also include healthcare staff who work with COVID patients, nursing home staff, and elderly residents. It adds “for other populations, the need for a third dose of the vaccine will be considered later in the autumn.”
-
The Finnish Institute for Health says its COVID wastewater testing program is showing overall decreasing levels of coronavirus activity. In the areas of Espoo, Kuopio, Oulu, Vaasa, Pori, and Lappeenranta, the wastewater surveillance system found increased COVID activity. However, Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Hämeenlinna, Jyväskylä, Kouvola, Rovaniemi, and Joensuu saw decreasing virus movement.
🇩🇪
Germany’s Health Minister Jens Spahn says there are major vaccination uptake differences from one region to another in the country. He says while vaccination targets are within reach in north west states like the Schleswig-Holstein in the south East “far more progress is needed.”
As of Saturday, 55.8 million people had received one vaccine dose (67.1%) while 52.3 million (62.9%) were fully vaccinated as Germany’s vaccination campaign continues to crawl.
🇮🇹
There is a stampede to get vaccinated as Italy prepares to mandate all employees must be vaccinated. Vaccination bookings soared last week.
Italy's Corona Commissioner Francesco Figliuolo:
“Nationally, there was an increase in bookings for the first vaccine dose of between 20 and 40 percent compared to last week.”
While Italy mandated the EU COVID digital certificate for restaurants, museums, and sporting events as of October 15 the mandate will extend to all workplaces. Anyone who refuses to be vaccinated will be suspended without pay.
🇪🇺
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control released its latest COVID situational assessment going into the weekend. It says overall, infections, hospitalizations, and coronavirus fatalities have stabilized or are slowly decreasing across Europe. It forecasts this trend will continue over the next two weeks. Infections among those 15 to 24 years old, the age group in Europe that had seen the most new COVID cases, have begun to decrease. Infection rates for children younger than 15 have also begun to stabilize. There will, of course, be differences from country to country.
By the end of week 36 the ECDC says, 77.1% of all adults 18 years old and older had at least one vaccine dose and 71.3% were fully vaccinated.
The ECDC assesses each country’s COVID situation and currently has just one country rated as very high concern, Lithuania. Six countries including Norway, Croatia, and Estonia, are assessed as a high concerns. 12 countries register as moderate concerns including Sweden, Finland, Germany, and Ireland. While 11 rate as a low concern among them Denmark, Iceland, and France. It is worth noting, since its last assessment, just four countries Norway, the Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, and Romania, saw a worsening COVID situation.
On the variant front, the agency says data from 16 European countries saw 99.4% of all sequenced positive test results come back as the Delta variant. No other variant came close to breaching the 1% mark. Matter of fact, the Alpha variant, which sparked a global third wave, was found in just 0.1% of all cases and “has been downgraded from the list of VOCs [Variants of Concern].”
🇬🇧
The United Kingdom reported 29,612 new infections and another 56 deaths on Sunday. The rate of positive tests and hospitalizations over the last seven days has begun to ease, but the number if deaths has increased slightly.
🇺🇸
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has rejected Pfizer’s request to approve a third COVID vaccine booster shot for the general public. The FDA vote, which took place Friday, was 16 to 2 against.
The United States is once again the hardest-hit nation on earth in the coronavirus pandemic. While numbers were reduced on Sunday, as they normally are in four of the last seven days, the country recorded over 150,000 new infections each day. On three of those days daily deaths were over 2,000, and on the fourth it fell just short. If the pace of fatalities continues, the country will surge past 700,000 total to date COVID deaths in about a week. That would be by far the most of any country on the planet.
🇨🇦
The Canadian government’s COVID dashboard has again not been updated since Friday. Hopefully we get a clearer picture of the pandemic situation later today.
-
The Canadian vaccination campaign has so far administered 28,616,865 1st vaccine doses (75.16% of the total population) while 26,360,131 people (69.24%) have had both doses.
A number of provinces and territories do not report on weekends.
In Ontario over the weekend there were 1,536 infections, of which 1,161 were among people who were either not vaccinated or who had a single dose. There are 251 people in hospital with COVID and 182 in an ICU. On Friday, the province suffered the tragic loss of a child under the age of 10, the youngest coronavirus death in the province.
Quebec reported 742 infections and four more corona deaths on Sunday.
There were a record-high 543 infections in Saskatchewan yesterday. The province also saw the highest ever number of COVID hospitalizations (249) and record-high ICU admissions (55).
According to a letter issued by unions representing thousands of healthcare workers in Alberta, the hospital system in the province is “collapsing right in front of our eyes.” The letter pleads with Premier Jason Kenney to call for help “It's time to call in the military to help our overwhelmed hospitals.” The unions claim the hospitals have run out of staff, are running out of beds, and COVID patients continue to flood in. The letter was issued by five unions representing just about every healthcare worker in the province.