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(CNN)It has been two years since the Covid-19 pandemic became a reality for millions of people in Europe and many of the region’s leaders now believe it is time to move on. But as countries lift restrictions, cases and hospitalizations are slowly rising, and public health experts are worried about the fallout.
Covid-19 cases are surging in Britain just two weeks after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson lifted most mitigation measures. According to CNN’s Brenda Goodman and Deidre McPhillips, infections were 48% higher last week compared to the previous week and hospitalizations were up 17% over the same period.
The country’s daily case rate — about 55,000 a day — is still less than a third of what it was during the omicron peak, but cases are rising at a pace they’ve been declining just two weeks earlier, as self-isolation for Infected applies to people ended up in the UK.
Daily cases are also increasing in more than half of the countries of the European Union. In the Netherlands they have increased by 48%. On Tuesday, Germany reported a record seven-day incidence in Covid-19 cases of 1,585.4 Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people, days before the government will ease some restrictions.
The situation has caught the attention of American health experts, who fear the surge in infections in Europe could be a preview of what’s to come in the US. dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN that his UK colleagues have attributed the rise in cases to a combination of three factors: the more transmissible BA.2 variant; the opening up of society and the mixing of people indoors without masks; and waning immunity from vaccination or previous infection.
“Without a doubt, the opening up of society and the mixing of people indoors is clearly something contributing to this, as is the overall waning immunity, which means we really need to stay on top of things and keep an eye on the pattern here,” said fauci “So that’s why we’re watching this very closely.”
Although the UK may offer a glimpse of the future, there are key differences that will affect how BA.2 evolves in the US, Keri Althoff, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, told CNN .
In the UK, 86% of beneficiaries are fully vaccinated and 67% are boosted compared to 69% of beneficiaries in the US who are vaccinated and 50% are boosted. “What we’re seeing in the UK may be a better story than what we should expect here,” Althoff said.
Even though the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) scrapped mask recommendations for most parts of the country two weeks ago, it’s important to remain vigilant. “We have to remain vigilant about monitoring and testing and be prepared to potentially roll back much of the easing of these restrictions,” said Deborah Fuller, a microbiologist at the University of Washington.
“We cannot let go of our vigilance because the message people get when they say, ‘We are lifting the restrictions’ is that the pandemic is over. And she is not.”
YOU ASKED. WE HAVE ANSWERED.
Q: What factors should people consider if they need to return to work in person?
A: It depends on the person and the circumstances, said CNN medical analyst Dr. Leana Wen.
“People should consider three factors. What is your medical condition and that of others in your household? What is the level of Covid-19 in your community? Finally, what safety precautions are already in place at your workplace?” Wen added. “Some offices require proof of vaccination, regular testing, distancing and ventilation. And remember that masks are always available, even when they’re not required,” she said.
Submit your questions here. Are you a healthcare worker battling Covid-19? Let us know what challenges you are facing on WhatsApp: +1 347-322-0415.
READING OF THE WEEK
White House warns Congress of potential disruptions to Covid response
The White House is stepping up its warning that aspects of the federal response to Covid-19 will be curtailed after lawmakers failed to pass additional funds, with administration officials speaking in foul language in a call to reporters and on Tuesday, Betsy sent a letter to the Congressional leaders sent Klein reports.
The latest warnings mark an escalation of pressure from the Biden administration ahead of key funding deadlines. Additional funding for the federal Covid-19 effort was originally included in a recent massive omnibus spending package but was scrapped after a row over how the spending would be balanced.
With cases rising daily in Europe, a senior Biden administration official warned that Congress’s failure to pass additional Covid-19 funding legislation could leave the US unprepared for another potential surge. “Our scientific and medical experts were aware that over the next few months we could see an increase in Covid cases here in the US, just as we are currently seeing an increase in cases abroad,” the senior official said, adding adds: “Without additional funding, we are less well prepared than we would otherwise be.”
37 million people are in lockdown in China as the country suffers its worst outbreak since Wuhan
China is grappling with the worst Covid-19 outbreak since the pandemic began. This outbreak has spread far faster than previous waves of less infectious variants, with daily cases skyrocketing from a few dozen in February to more than 5,100 on Tuesday — the highest number since the outbreak in Wuhan in early 2020.
While the number may sound low compared to other countries, it is alarmingly high for a nation that has maintained a strict zero-Covid policy throughout the pandemic. Five cities – home to a combined population of more than 37 million – are now under varying degrees of lockdown in China, reports Jessie Yeung.
Authorities and state media say it’s still unclear how the first outbreaks began. But several factors — including cases imported from overseas and the prevalence of the Omicron variant — exacerbated the severity of the outbreak across the country.
She had a near death experience because of Covid. But it wasn’t a glimpse of life after death that changed her
In the two years since it began, the pandemic has created a new category of near-death experiences — narrated by people who say they have lived through them and returned to see the miraculous in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life, reports John Blake.
They were not spiritually transformed by a glimpse of the afterlife, but by what they saw in this life as they struggled to stay alive after being struck by Covid.
These types of stories usually don’t get book or movie offers. Yet people like Paige Gerner, 41, have these incredible survival stories that can help us all.
Start with the power of gratitude. It’s cliche for some, but not for many Covid survivors. “I often think about how much we take for granted,” Dein wrote in a Facebook post not long after her hospital discharge in December, “of the ability to walk or swallow to breathe.”
TOP TIP
Mask mandates may be lifted in many parts of the US, but many people are sticking with them in case guidelines change. Here’s what you need to know to keep masks safe and determine if they’re expired:
- Masks need to be stored in a dry area, said Christopher Sulmonte, project administrator for the Johns Hopkins Biocontainment Unit at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “Personally, I use a paper bag without sealing it because the important thing is that it’s supposed to be circulated with air,” he said.
- Store your face coverings in a plastic container with holes in it.
- With cloth masks, make sure you would wash them like any other piece of clothing you own.
- If you take a break from wearing a mask, be sure to check the expiration date, which can often be found on the outside of the boxes.
TODAY’S PODCAST
When astronaut Christina Koch embarked on her record-breaking 11-month space flight, little did she know she would be returning to Earth at the onset of a global pandemic. dr CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta talks to Koch about her remarkable journey. Listen.
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