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COVID-19

Norwegian health authority reduces Covid-19 alert level from ‘high’ to ‘moderate’

The Norwegian health authority, NIPH, has reduced its assessment of the risk of widespread increased infections from ‘high’ to ‘moderate’, but warned of a potential new increase during the Christmas period.

Published: 30 November 2020 17:11 CET
Norwegian health authority reduces Covid-19 alert level from 'high' to 'moderate'
Bergen, Christmas 2014. Photo: Justin/Flickr

NIPH’s most recent assessment of the situation with the virus in Norway states that 2,574 new cases of the virus were registered in the week leading up to Sunday.

That compares with 3,649 new cases in the previous week and 4,080 the week prior to that, Aftenposten reports.

Hospitalisations are also falling in Norway, with 74 admitted to hospitals with coronavirus last week compared to 107 and 101 in the two preceding weeks.

Delays in data registration mean that the final figure for last week’s new cases could be higher, but not enough to change the overall picture of a declining trend in virus spread in the country currently.

But the risk of the pandemic again flaring up is unlikely to change for several months, according to the agency’s last risk assessment. That is in spite of reports suggesting Norway is close to being able to begin vaccinations against Covid-19.

READ ALSO: Norway’s health authority 'ready' for arrival of Covid-19 vaccine

The Christmas period could have the effect of sparking new infections, according to NIPH.

“We assess that there is little likelihood of a national wave of accelerated (virus) spread),” the authority concludes in its report.

In a November 5th risk assessment, NIPH said that the risk of widespread increased infections nationally was “high”.

That risk level has now been reduced to “moderate”.

“The strong increase in the number of registered cases and hospital admissions appears to be decreasing,” the assessment states.

But the situation remains unstable, with the risk of new outbreaks locally and nationally still present.

“There is a need for an ongoing strong effort to reduce infections in the Oslo area, and municipalities elsewhere in the country must detect and gain quick control of their outbreaks,” NIPH writes.

Risk factors stated by the agency include fatigue amongst the population, causing people to take guidelines or the threat of the virus less seriously; cold weather moving more activity indoors; and Christmas events including family gatherings, church services and social events.

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COVID-19

Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

Sweden's Public Health Agency is recommending that those above the age of 80 should receive two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine a year, once in the spring and once in the autumn, as it shifts towards a longer-term strategy for the virus.

Published: 23 December 2022 10:53 CET
Public Health Agency recommends two Covid doses next year for elderly

In a new recommendation, the agency said that those living in elderly care centres, and those above the age of 80 should from March 1st receive two vaccinations a year, with a six month gap between doses. 

“Elderly people develop a somewhat worse immune defence after vaccination and immunity wanes faster than among young and healthy people,” the agency said. “That means that elderly people have a greater need of booster doses than younger ones. The Swedish Public Health Agency considers, based on the current knowledge, that it will be important even going into the future to have booster doses for the elderly and people in risk groups.” 

READ ALSO: 

People between the ages of 65 and 79 years old and young people with risk factors, such as obesity, diabetes, poor kidney function or high blood pressure, are recommended to take one additional dose per year.

The new vaccination recommendation, which will start to apply from March 1st next year, is only for 2023, Johanna Rubin, the investigator in the agency’s vaccination programme unit, explained. 

She said too much was still unclear about how long protection from vaccination lasted to institute a permanent programme.

“This recommendation applies to 2023. There is not really an abundance of data on how long protection lasts after a booster dose, of course, but this is what we can say for now,” she told the TT newswire. 

It was likely, however, that elderly people would end up being given an annual dose to protect them from any new variants, as has long been the case with influenza.

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