EU estimates that up to 80% of Europe’s population has been infected with COVID-19

Estimated population Europe infected COVID-19 The aforesaid comes as the EU prepares to end the emergency phase of the pandemic, during which daily reporting of new cases is no longer necessary.

To prepare for this less acute period, European Union member states should increase their children’s COVID-19 vaccinations, the European Commission said.

“It is estimated that between 60% and 80% of the EU population now has COVID-19,” European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides told a news conference.

The EU’s public health body says the reported cases have covered about 30% of Europe’s population so far, but if more unreported infections were added, the number of cases could reach 350 million people, about 77% of Europe’s population.

As the number of infections and deaths related to COVID-19 has decreased recently, the EU is now moving away from mass testing and reporting new cases daily, Kyriakides said.

Commuters wait for a train at a metro station during the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease in Barcelona, ​​Spain, January 12, 2022. (Photo: Reuters)

However, the increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases due to new variants is expected to be likely to continue on the spur of the moment. Therefore, European countries should plan to reintroduce the emergency regime and should increase vaccination.

In a document outlining a strategy for the post-pandemic phase of the pandemic, Brussels urges governments to continue promoting vaccination of unvaccinated children, especially before school starts. new term in the fall.

Current vaccination rates for children aged 5 to 9 years, the youngest age group authorized to use the COVID-19 vaccine in Europe, are at less than 15%, much lower than the rate of more than 70% in Europe. adolescents aged 15 to 17 years.

The European Commission says it can support the development of new drugs to treat COVID-19, especially antivirals that are easier to store and administer.

Antiviral drugs developed by Pfizer and Merck have been approved for use in the EU. However, its use has so far been limited due to a variety of reasons such as the slowing of the pandemic, high drug prices, and complicated procedures for prescribing.

The EU executive said it will work to support the development of a next-generation COVID-19 vaccine, which is expected to provide stronger and longer-lasting protection against infection.

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