World Economic Forum: Europe surpasses 100,000 confirmed coronavirus deaths – how did we get here?
* Confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Europe exceed 100,000, but the true figure may never be known.
* Many European countries have gone into weeks-long periods of lockdown.
* Some restrictions are slowly being lifted.
The speed with which the COVID-19 coronavirus has spread is one of the hallmarks of this pandemic. Within five months of being identified it had – based on the most recent data from Johns Hopkins University – infected more than 2.7 million people.
This rapid pace was felt acutely in Europe, where on 19 April the confirmed death toll passed 100,000. This is how events developed across the continent.
Europe’s first confirmed cases were identified in France on 24 January. Soon after, it was detected in Germany, and before long Europe was described as “the epicentre of the pandemic” by World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
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Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Italy -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Italy's daily coronavirus death toll lowest since March 19, but new cases rise -- Reuters
Italy will ease lockdown over next four weeks, with bars, restaurants and hairdressers among the last to open on May 18, local media reports -- Daily Mail
Italy said to roll back lockdown over the course of four weeks -- France 24
Italy's coronavirus epidemic began in January, study shows -- Reuters
Italy's coronavirus outbreak began in January – a month earlier than previously thought, study shows -- Daily Mail
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Spain -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Spain's daily coronavirus infection rate almost halves in 24 hours with just 3,995 new cases as King Felipe wears a military uniform and face mask for royal guard visit -- Daily Mail
'Toughest over': Spain's daily coronavirus deaths lowest in a month -- Reuters
Spain: Was coronavirus already spreading a month before lockdown? -- Al Jazeera
Spain Flattening Curve of Epidemic After Recoveries Surpassed New Cases -- Sputnik
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In France -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Covid-19: France records 389 new deaths as hospital cases continue to fall -- France 24
France's coronavirus death toll rises by 389 to 22,245 -- Reuters
Covid-19: Wearing face masks will be 'recommended' but not mandatory in France -- France 24
Lockdown saved as many as 60,000 lives in France, study shows -- France 24
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Germany -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 2,055 to 152,438 - RKI -- Reuters
Germans told not to lower guard as lockdown is eased -- Reuters
Coronavirus: Germans back reopening, as experts urge caution -- DW
Germany starts preparing for SECOND wave of coronavirus with new 1,000-bed hospital as experts say cases must fall to a few hundred per day before lockdown can be eased further -- Daily Mail
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In The U.K. -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Britain nears grim milestone of 20,000 coronavirus hospital deaths -- Reuters
UK coronavirus death toll in hospital rises to 19,506 -- Reuters
UK economy crumbling as coronavirus deaths mount -- Al Jazeera
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Russia -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Russia's coronavirus case tally nears 70,000 -- Reuters
Putin Instructs Security Council to Establish Ties With Foreign Partners to Fight COVID-19 -- Sputnik
Up to one in 10 residents of Moscow may have had coronavirus infections: laboratory -- Reuters
Russia's lockdown surveillance measures need regulating, rights groups say -- Reuters
Moscow Mayor Doesn't Want to Use Troops in COVID-19 Response Like Other Countries -- Sputnik
Coronavirus lockdown pushes refugees in Russia to the brink -- Reuters
Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic In Europe -- News Updates April 25, 2020
Czechs ease lockdown, but extend state of emergency -- Al Jazeera
Sweden to shut bars and restaurants that ignore coronavirus restrictions -- Reuters
Coronavirus: Has Sweden got its science right? -- Maddy Savage, BBC News
Why is Sweden’s coronavirus strategy so different from the rest of Europe? -- The Local
Dozens of asylum seekers contract COVID-19 in Greece -- Al Jazeera
Coronavirus: Belgium unveils plans to lift lockdown -- BBC
Belgium set for phased easing of lockdown from May 4 -- Reuters
Austria will reopen schools with split classes next month -- Reuters
Poland is making its citizens use a 'selfie' app during the coronavirus crisis -- DW
Why all this news about a pandemic when we do not know there is a pandemic?
ReplyDeleteI am a native English speaker, so from that fact I do not often feel the need to look up the definitions of words like pandemic other than aging or coming across something new. In college though they take great pains to define everything more specifically and they do this the very 1st day of class and whenever a new concept is is discussed.
I looked up the following from wikipedia.
An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short period of time.
The declaration of an epidemic usually requires a good understanding of a baseline rate of incidence; epidemics for certain diseases, such as influenza, are defined as reaching some defined increase in incidence above this baseline. A few cases of a very rare disease may be classified as an epidemic, while many cases of a common disease (such as the common cold) would not.
We do not know the baseline for corona virus infections. It was not zero. One reason we know this is, because 1 in 10 to 1 in 6 colds are actually corona virus infections. Adults have 4 to 6 colds a year. Children have 6 to 8. Just a rough calculation, the Expected Value of a corona virus infection for a person is 1 (or 100%) in a year. E(x) = 1.
We are beginning to see that the death rate from corona is low. There are a lot of people, who have been infected with corona and did not know it or got over it. We are just now doing surveillance antibody testing for corona. We never did surveillance for corona before. So the point being that the death rate is low and we are finding out that corona has been very widespread. Then perhaps we should treat it like the cold. Rhinovirus has a high incidence, but is considered common, so when the cold goes around, we do not run around and cry pandemic.
The number of deaths for flu and corona will most often never be worse than that of a bad flu year. Corona and influenza tag team and so a 1 2 punch can fell many people than just either one alone can, but there is another dynamic, Whoever the one virus kills the other virus is deprived of a host. The 2 viruses limit one another to an extent.
I do not listen to people like Bill Gates or certain other experts. Bill gates has an IQ of between 100 and 140. Good for him. But he did not invent DOS; he bought it. His mother gave him the hook up to IBM. The rest is history. He is definitely no schlub, but I would not automatically confer on him guru status. The guy buys beach front property while warning about AGW and tests vaccines on African Children.
Which begs the question? Why not Eastern European children and maybe children SE Asia? There are very poor people all over the world. We are told that medicine is bad because too often the test subject have been white or male. So why limit vaccine efforts to just Africa? That is making the same type of mistake. Might it be racism?
Like I said I do not listen to so called experts. The flu of 2009 was different. 80% of it victims were under 60. We did not shut down the economy. With this corona flu 80% of the victims over 60. The scientists and politicians, who are all exercised, seem false to me. It seem more about money for a small minority than in protecting the majority.
Anon (9:57),
ReplyDeleteExcellent analysis. I caught onbto what they were doing from the start. Others were slow on the uptake but are starting to catch on. In his role with his foundation, I liken Mr. Gates to a charlatan who is using fear to try and get money and notoriety for his organization. I have not and do not take him seriously.