Europe is struggling to contain the third wave of the epidemic.

Europe is struggling to contain the third wave of the epidemic.

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The coronavirus is still spreading across the US, infection levels remain high and new variants are jeopardizing the progress made so far. “If you see a plateau at as high as 60,000 cases a day, it’s a very vulnerable time to have a boom, to go up again. That’s exactly what happened in Europe,” Fauci said on Monday. told CNN.

Europe is struggling to curb the third wave of the epidemic, apparently caused by the new, more contagious and deadly variant of the virus first identified in the UK. At the same time, the continent has taken into account the vaccination rates of the United Kingdom and the United States.

The deteriorating situation has left some European governments with no choice but to sharpen the restrictions again. Half of Italy’s 20 regions, including the cities of Rome, Milan and Venice, have started a new exclusion today, and people are now banned from leaving their homes, except for work or health reasons.

In Germany, officials warned yesterday there was a ‘very large’ risk of a further increase in infections. In France, hospitalizations are on the rise again, with Paris starting to evacuate about 100 Covid-19 patients from the region this past weekend.

The Czech Republic has been in a strict lock for two weeks now, many of its hospitals are overwhelmed with the number of cases caused by the new variant.

Fauci warned that the variants that currently threaten Europe occur in the US. He said there were ways to prevent the country from finding itself in a similar place within a few weeks.

“The best way to avoid any threat of variants is to do two things. Get as many people vaccinated as soon as possible and continue with the social health measures until we get this broad umbrella of protection over society,” he said. . .

YOU ASKED. WE ANSWER.

Q: Can I hug my vaccinated grandmother?

A: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last week unveiled new Covid-19 guidelines for nursing homes. Vaccinated or not, residents of nursing homes are still a fragile patient population, so infection control is important. This means that CMS still wants people to wear a well-fitted face mask, wash their hands and try to keep physically far away. Outdoor visits are still the safest, especially for those who have not been vaccinated.

But the new CMS guidelines offer many other new freedoms. Visitors do not have to be negative? Covid-19 test results, and they also do not have to show proof of vaccination. However, the guidelines strongly encourage everyone to be vaccinated.

“There is no substitute for physical contact, such as the warm embrace between a resident and their loved one. So if the resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have a close contact (including touch) with their visitor while they ‘ a well-fitting face mask, ”says CMS on its website.

Visits should be limited if the positivity rate of Covid-19 is more than 10% and if less than 70% of the residents in the facility are fully vaccinated.

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WHAT IS IMPORTANT TODAY

More European countries stop AstraZeneca vaccinations

Ireland and the Netherlands yesterday became the latest countries to temporarily suspend the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine following a report from Norway on patients who develop blood clots after vaccination.

At least six European countries have temporarily suspended the use of the shot, while seven others have suspended vaccination for certain groups or with certain groups of the vaccine. The European Medicines Agency stated that there was “no indication that vaccination caused these conditions, which are not listed as side effects with this vaccine.” The agency said “the benefits of the vaccine still outweigh its risks” and the vaccine could still be administered while investigating cases of thromboembolic events.

Oxford’s lead investigator Andrew Pollard told the BBC this morning that there was’ very rich, reassuring evidence that there is no increase in a blood clot phenomenon here in the UK, where most doses [of the AstraZenecavaccine] in Europe has been given so far. ‘

Coughing of patients poses serious risks to medical workers

Since the onset of the pandemic, the most daunting task in healthcare is considered to be the insertion of a breathing tube into the trachea of ​​a critically ill Covid patient. But a new wave of research now shows that a basic cough produces about 20 times more particles than intubation.

New studies show that patients with Covid-19 can only talk or breathe in a well-ventilated room, making workers sick – even if the workers wear surgical masks with CDC sanctions.

The studies suggest that the greatest overall risk for infection was among the front-line workers – many of whom were colored – who spent most of their time with patients earlier in their illness and not those in the Covid ICU.

The defining pictures of the pandemic – and the stories behind it

As the pandemic extends to a second year, we look back at some of the most memorable photos taken around the world. In these images we see sadness, pain and desperation. But we also see love, sacrifice and resilience. See the full gallery here.
Olivia Grant embraces her grandmother Mary Grace Sileo through a plastic sheet in Wantagh, New York.

ON OUR RADAR

  • Covid-19 vaccines could end the worst pandemic in a century – bringing in hundreds of billions of dollars in sales for the pharmaceutical companies that make it.
  • Police in London are being criticized for being heavy-handed after officers broke a vigilance for a murdered woman and testified about the breaches of the Covid-19 restrictions on protests.
  • The childhood vaccine has seen a significant and ‘historic’ decline amid the pandemic, the CDC director said, urging parents to make sure their children are aware of their vaccinations.
  • Those who received their Covid-19 vaccine at Berkshire Community College in Pittsville, Massachusetts on Saturday were serenaded by famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
  • Facebook is launching a handful of new tools on its platforms to help people get vaccinated against Covid-19.
  • Duke University officials have issued a spot-on order to all undergraduate students as they try to combat a rapidly growing epidemic.
  • The Tanzanian prime minister has dismissed rumors about President John Magufuli’s health after days of widespread speculation he was ill with Covid-19.
  • A Stanford scientist’s quest to cure his son could help unravel the mystery of Covid-19 long-distance riders.

TOP TIPS

Covid-19 triggered another global health crisis that some called ‘coronasomnia’ – an inability to fall asleep or a good quality sleep during the pandemic.

Unfortunately, experts say, people can turn to activities during the pandemic that seem to hamper their ability to fall and stay asleep. Discover here how you can avoid these traps.

TODAY’S PODCAST

“We are going to open doors first before we honestly believe we are ready. And this is what happened: we believed we were ready, and we opened the doors. ‘ – Lisa Herring, Superintendent of Public Schools in Atlanta

Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent, talks to Lisa Herring about how she’s reopening schools and balancing safety measures with students’ educational needs. Listen now.

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