The Evening Report - June 30
Denmark’s COVID numbers keep rising. More weapons flow to Ukraine.
🦠Pandemic🦠
🇩🇰
Denmark’s BA.5 variant driven infection wave continues to rise in Denmark. The latest weekly assessment from the Statens Serum Institute shows that coronavirus cases rose by another 27% last week. That is a lesser increase than had been seen in the previous two weeks. The positivity percentage also continued to rise last week, going from 19% to 22% this despite a 12% increase in the number of PCR tests taken, not a good sign.
The COVID incidence rate per 100,000 residents increased again across all five Danish regions, as did the positivity percentage. Region Hovedstaden (Metro Copenhagen) has the highest incidence rate at 223. Region Midtjylland registered the highest positivity percentage with 23.5%.
With the exception of 16 to 19 year olds, where it was stable, the COVID incidence rate increased across all age groups. The highest rate, 282 per 100,000 people, was seen among those 40 to 79 years old. The positivity percentage also rose across in most age groups except 3 to 5 year olds, which was stable, and 6 to 19 year olds where it actually declined. 50 to 59 year olds had the highest positivity percentage with 27%.
COVID hospitalizations are rising, which is very concerning, as pandemic admissions jumped by 45% last week. Again, seniors aged 70 to 89 years old continue to make up the largest number of new hospitalizations. Even intensive care admissions went up from 4 to 12 from one week to the next. Another worrying sign is the rise in the number of people admitted specifically due to an infection compared to those who are infected but need hospital care for another reason. The number of admissions because of an infection rose to 60% compared to 52% in the week previous. It has been steadily increasing for a few weeks now.
The number of pandemic deaths is also moving upward with a preliminary 23 fatalities last week, an increase from the 15 lives lost the week before.
Infection activity is increasing among Denmark’s most vulnerable population, elderly seniors in care. Despite the number of tests increasing, the positivity percentage went from 3.1% to 5.7% from week to week. Confirmed infection cases also jumped from 55 to 96 from week 24 to week 25. Pandemic deaths remained stable, with five in each of the last two weeks.
COVID infections are also on the rise among senior care home and hospital staff. The positivity percentage rose from 12.1% to 16.4% among care home staff. Among healthcare workers in hospitals, it nudged up from 19.5% to 20.9%.
BA.5 is continuing to dominate in Denmark, making up about 70% of all sequenced positive test results last week. The number of BA.2.12.1 and BA.4 variant cases both more or less treaded water. The SSI is again providing the caveat that a “particularly large number” of tests from last week have yet to be sequenced, so take the numbers with a grain of salt.
COVID wastewater surveillance shows that virus activity flatlined last week at the national level and also leveled off in four of the five regions. The exception is Region Nordjylland where virus activity was on the rise.
The SSI says all things considered, there are signs that this infection wave is slowing. It says there is a “moderate probability” that infection activity will continue to grow in the next few weeks. It also expresses some concern over a number of large summer events to come and the uncertainty as to how those may impact the infection spread.
“The increase in admissions continues in week 25, and it is assessed that there is still a high risk that the increasing infection will lead to derivative increases in pandemic related admissions in the coming weeks.”
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COVID hospitalizations (307) are unchanged day to day while the number of severe infections in an ICU (12) and of those on a ventilator (5) also remain static day over day. Infection admissions to a psych ward (43) dipped slightly (-1).
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Denmark reported 2,166 infections (underreported), including 377 reinfections, and 6 more coronavirus deaths in the last day.
There were 10,243 PCR tests taken yesterday equaling a positivity percentage of 21.14%, over 7 days it is 22.99%. The daily positivity percentage has dipped slightly while the seven day rate has crept upward.
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Why do some people get really sick when infected with a virus while others don’t? The Statens Serum Institute has received 52 million Danish kroner in funding from the European Union (just over $9 million Cdn) to fund a study to try and find an answer. The study will focus on three specific viruses coronavirus, influenza, and RSV. All three cause lower respiratory infections.
Section Manager Lasse Boding:
“Infections affecting the lower respiratory tract are still some of the most deadly diseases in the world. According to the WHO, they are the 4th most common cause of death globally and the 2nd most common cause of death in low-income countries. In these countries, for example, there are many children who die of the RSV virus every year due to inadequate health systems.”
Another reason the focus will be on those three viruses is because all of them have the potential to trigger a pandemic.
“Common to the three diseases we want to focus on is also that all three are zoonoses that can be transmitted from animals to humans. That all three have the potential to become epidemics and pandemics, and that they return annually, and are therefore a major health burden. Finally, these are diseases that we and our partners in the project have a great deal of knowledge about.”
Researchers at the SSI will focus on B and T cells and how they interact with the immune system. B cells form antibodies to fight infections and T cells are the immune systems assassins sent to kill virus-infected cells.
“SSI's contribution is, among other things, about collecting blood samples via the Danish National Bloodbank from 2,000 people who have had one or more of the three diseases, and then extracting live T cells from these samples.”
The institute isn’t alone in doing the work as it has partnered with experts in nine other countries from Sweden to South Africa in the four year study.
The study hopes that if it can determine why some people get hit much harder from infection than others, then it could open avenues for better treatments and perhaps tailored vaccines to help.
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On the vaccination front, to date 81.7% of the total population has one vaccine dose, 80.3% have two, 61.8% have one booster, and 0.7% have a 2nd booster dose.
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The Danish Statens Serum Institute has completed a study looking at the socio-economic factors behind the small portion of the population who aren’t getting vaccinated. The study included all 5,164,558 people in the country 12 years old and older who were eligible to get vaccinated. With almost 90% of the country having at least one dose the pool of unvaccinated people is quite small. The SSI study tried to find commonalities among those choosing to avoid getting the jab.
The study found that those having a low level of education and those at lower income levels were more likely to avoid getting vaccinated. It also noted the two are linked as those with a lower education are more likely to have a lesser paying job. People who are younger, and especially if they belong to an immigrant group, are also more likely to not be vaccinated.
Department Head Palle Valentiner-Branth:
“Differences in vaccination adherence across income and education are greatest for the youngest age groups, for example the 25-34-year-olds and the 35-44-year-olds. The complex interplay between the various socio-economic factors and the qualitative factors such as cultural differences, religion, experiences, trust, and contact with the health authorities, social behavior, attitudes, and upbringing need to be elucidated in order to explain the differences in vaccination adherence. It will also be important knowledge for the authorities to be able to target future vaccination efforts.”
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The Statens Serum Institute’s sentinel monitoring shows that the rate of diagnosed respiratory infections declined the week before last to 29%. Other than coronavirus, the two most common viruses making the rounds continue to be parainfluenza and rhinovirus.
🇩🇰/ monkeypox
Add another two monkeypox cases to Denmark’s running total, which is now at 18. The Danish Ministry of Health says one person was infected while traveling while the second had no recent travel history. The Danish Agency for Patient Safety is now consulting contact tracing on both individuals.
Health Minister Magnus Heunicke:
“We are now up to a total of 18 cases of monkeypox. The health authorities are working to detect infections and offer vaccines for close contacts to stop infection chains.”
🇸🇪
Sweden added 3,430 infections (wildly underreported) and another 31 corona deaths (processing pandemic deaths is backlogged) since last Thursday’s update.
For some reason the Swedish Public Health Agency hasn’t update vaccination statistics yet today.
🇳🇴
In the last 48 hours Norway has added 1,260 infections and reported no new pandemic deaths.
In the last 7 days COVID hospital admissions (276) have risen week over week (+78).
To date, 80.5% of Norwegians 12 years old and older have one dose, 75.1% have two, and 55.9% have three.
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The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is warning that this newly arrived BA.5 variant driven wave will hit seniors hardest and drive up hospitalizations. The agency says BA.5 is now the dominant coronavirus strain in Norway and both cases and hospital admissions are on the rise. However, the good news is that intensive care numbers are not showing any signs of rising.
The NIPH says seniors are most at risk because their vaccine protection is likely waning combined with BA.5’s heightened ability to evade immunity. For most elderly Norwegians, it has been around six months since their last booster dose. While around 10% have fewer than three doses.
Infection Control Director Trygve Ottersen:
“We are unsure of how large this increase will be. The population's immunity and behavior, as well as seasonal effects such as heat and sun will help to influence the situation in the future. In addition, we assume that less than half of the elderly became infected this winter. It is therefore likely that there will be a few weeks with many admissions among the seniors.”
NIPH assumes that the number of new hospital admissions for covid-19 will probably increase for a few more weeks. It is possible that the weekly admission figures will be as high as in winter before the decline comes. When society returns to normal activity in September, there may be a new increase.
The agency says the consequences of this new infection wave could include rising hospitalizations, more pressure on family doctors, home-care, and senior care homes.
“The situation is still unpredictable. It is necessary, with continued preparedness and monitoring.”
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With the BA.5 variant wave raising concerns for Norway’s population of vulnerable seniors, the country’s health agency will begin a new round of booster vaccinations. Beginning today, people in Norway 75 years old and older are able to get another booster dose provided it has been at least four months since their last one.
Assistant Director Geir Bukholm:
“Although it is uncertain how large this infection wave will be, we recommend that the oldest and most vulnerable protect themselves with another booster dose now.”
He says Norway’s Institute of Public Health is warning that seniors 75 years old and older are at heightened risk of being hospitalized due to a BA.5 infection.
The NIPH says the oldest and most vulnerable will get priority for a booster dose. That group includes elderly seniors in care. Then all seniors 80 years old and older will get a turn. Followed by 75 to 79 year olds. Then in September, 18 to 74 year olds in high risk or vulnerable populations will get a chance to get another booster dose.
“We understand that it is demanding for the municipalities to organize vaccinations during the holiday, and have full confidence that they will solve it in the best way based on the resources they have available.”
🇫🇮
Finland has registered 12,013 infections (underreported) and 43 more virus deaths in the last week.
COVID hospitalizations (464) are up (+68).
So far, 80.3% of the total population have one dose, 77.2% have two, 53.5% have one booster, and 6% have a 2nd.
🇩🇪
Germany recorded another 132,671 infections and 83 more pandemic deaths since it’s Wednesday update.
It added 1,348 new corona hospitalizations, while ICU numbers (943) dropped (-48). As a percentage of all intensive care beds in the country, COVID patients are using 4.3%.
To date, 77.8% of the total population have one vaccine dose, 76.2% have two, and 61.6% have a booster shot.
WHO/ 🦠
The World Health Organization is warning about another infection wave this summer, as it notes COVID infections have tripled in the last month.
WHO Europe Regional Director Hans Kluge spoke to AFP:
“As countries across Europe have eased their coronary restrictions in the past, the virus will spread and reach high levels over the summer. The virus will not disappear just because countries stop keeping an eye on it. It's still spreading. It still mutates. It still requires life.”
🇨🇦
The Public Health Agency of Canada only updates COVID statistics once a week on Fridays.
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Health officials warned Thursday that another infection wave is coming and people need to ensure they are vaccinated. The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), the body of independent experts that guides Canada's vaccine policy, strongly recommends all adults get a booster dose. The one caveat is if you are infected then you must wait at least three months before being able to get a booster dose.
Dr. Teresa Tam said having survived an infection no longer offers the protection guarantees it once did thanks to the BA.5 variants ability to evade immune protections. She says anyone banking on two doses plus having survived an infection is operating “under false impressions.”
“Infection-related immunity, particularly as it relates to Omicron, could wane over time. There are many other reasons as well to get a shot.”
Among the benefits to being vaccinated is that it could lower the risk of getting long-COVID.
🇺🇦/ 🇷🇺 War
🇸🇪 🇫🇮/ NATO
“Today, we have decided to invite Finland and Sweden to become members of NATO, and have agreed to sign the Accession Protocols.”
That is what NATO leaders had to say say in a declaration from the special Madrid Summit on Wednesday.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says that the accession protocols of Finland and Sweden will be signed on Tuesday with the Finnish and Swedish foreign ministers present. NATO countries officially invited Finland and Sweden to join the Alliance on Wednesday after a deal was struck removing Turkey’s opposition.
🇹🇷/ 🇸🇪 🇫🇮
It appears that Turkey is under the impression that its deal with Sweden and Finland to support both countries applications to join NATO will make it easier to extradite people suspected by Turkey of being terrorists.
Turkish Justice Minister, Bekir Bozdag spoke to Russian NTV to say that they have already filed to extradite 33 people from Sweden and Finland.
🇹🇷/ 🇫🇮 🇸🇪
It took about 24 hours after signing a trilateral deal with Sweden and Finland for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to get all testy and threaten to once again veto both countries NATO applications. Erdogan made the threat after saying that Sweden and Finland must implement "their part of the agreement" as soon as possible. He hinted that both countries must classify the Kurdish Workers Party as a terrorist organization.
🇸🇪 🇫🇮/ 🇹🇷
Both Finland’s Justice Minister and Sweden’s Prime Minister are trying to assure people that the trilateral deal struck with Turkey does not mean citizens will just be handed over every time Turkey makes a demand. In Finland, Justice Minister Anna-Maja Henriksson said nothing has changed and that the extradition process remains the same.
“In other words, the legal process will be exactly the same and each individual case will be reviewed separately. If there are now new requests for extraditions, they will be handled in the same way as before. We comply with the Council of Europe's Convention on Extradition.”
In Sweden, Prime Minister Magdalena Anderson also tried to calm fears.
“It depends on what information we get from Turkey in this area. In all extraditions, we continue to follow Swedish and international law and, of course, follow the European Convention on extraditions."
🇸🇪/ 🇺🇦
A day after being formally invited to join NATO, Sweden is sending a major weapons shipment to Ukraine. The 500 million Swedish krona package (just over $62 million Cdn) includes anti-tank weapons, support weapons, and demining equipment.
This is the fifth weapons package to be sent to Ukraine from Sweden.
Sweden has also freed up more funding for another 100 million Swedish krona (just over $12 million Cdn) to provide more support for Ukraine. The funds will be sent through the EU Civil Protections Mechanism and the United Nations.
🇩🇰/ NATO/ 🇷🇺
Tensions will rise with Russia over Sweden and Finland joining NATO and Denmark’s Minister of Defense is warning that the Baltic Sea will become a tense place.
Defense Morten Bødskov
“What we have repeatedly seen in Denmark, Sweden, and other countries is that the Russians are testing our preparedness. That is totally unacceptable. But I think we have to be honest and say that the Baltic Sea will be an area of higher tensions than we have ever seen so far.”
Bødskov says with Sweden and Finland joining NATO, the alliance’s center of gravity will move north, putting Denmark and the other Nordic nations on a collision course with Russia.
🇫🇷/ 🇺🇦
France will 'swiftly deliver' six Caesar howitzers and other armoured vehicles to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron said that NATO allies meeting in Madrid unanimously decided to step up their economic, humanitarian, and military support for Ukraine.
🇨🇦/ 🇺🇦
As the special NATO summit wrapped up in Madrid, a number of countries announced more help for Ukraine. Among them was Canada, who will send the war-torn country 39 armoured combat vehicles to help repel the Russian invasion. It will also table a $200 million loan for Ukraine along with another $150 million for peacekeeping and security efforts, which will include humanitarian and agricultural aid.
Canada is also looking to counter Russia by expanding its diplomatic presence into Eastern Europe. New embassies will be opened in Estonia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Armenia.
🇺🇸/ NATO
US President Joe Biden has announced a significant scaling up of American military assets to Europe. Among them, a new permanent American forces headquarters will be established in Poland. A brigade of troops will be dispatched to Romania. Two F-35 squadrons are headed to the UK. Two more Navy destroyers will join the four already in Spain. Additional air defense systems will be deployed in Germany and Italy.
“At a moment Putin has shattered peace in Europe. The US and our allies are stepping up, proving NATO is more needed than ever, and more important than ever.”
🇬🇧/ NATO
Britain is also bolstering its military contributions to NATO as the alliance begins a huge scaling up of its combat-ready forces in Europe. The Brits will commit 1,000 more troops to NATO’s flank in the Baltics while also sending in a carrier group to muscle up NATO’s naval forces. Other equipment and possibly Typhoon fighter jets will be added to its contributions to the military alliance.