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Why experts in Norway aren’t worried about the Delta Covid variant being dominant

Despite the Delta coronavirus variant being dominant in Norway, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) is not too worried about the impact on the Covid epidemic in the country. Here's why. 

Why experts in Norway aren't worried about the Delta Covid variant being dominant
The NIPH doesn't expect the Delta variant to have a big impact on the epidemic in Norway. Photo by Gunnar Ridderström on Unsplash

new report from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (NIPH) assessing the risk of the Delta Covid variant, first identified in India, has outlined that it expects Delta to have a limited impact on the epidemic in Norway in the short term. 

Last week the Delta variant officially became the dominant coronavirus variant in Norway. 

In the report, the health institute outlined that the risk that the Delta variant poses to escalating the Covid-19 epidemic in Norway in the next two months is “small”. 

The health institute said that although cases will inevitably rise, the consequences of this will be minimal.

“There may be an increase in the number of infected, but the institute considers that the number of serious cases of illness will remain low and with relatively small consequences”, the risk assessment outlined. 

Coronavirus cases are expected to rise to around two or three thousand a week between August and September, compared to the current figure of just over 1,400 infections last week, as a result of Delta becoming dominant.

Case numbers of two to three thousand a week would be a similar infection situation to the one during early to mid-may, according to NIPH figures. However, the institute also added that Norway was unlikely to see any more large waves of infection as a result of the Delta variant becoming dominant.

READ ALSO: European health authorities warn of surge in Delta variant infections

Preben Aavitsland, chief physician at the NIPH, said in the report that despite the Delta variant being more contagious than other Covid mutations he expects the epidemic in the country to be kept under control. 

This is despite the Delta variant escalating the epidemic in other countries where it has become dominant. 

The reason for this is the progress Norway has made in its vaccination program. Almost 80 percent of people aged over 18 have received a vaccine, and nearly 40 percent of people in Norway are fully vaccinated.

“In many places, this leads to an increasing epidemic, but countries with good vaccination coverage still seem to be doing well with a small or moderate increase in hospital admissions or deaths,” Aavitsland said. 

Aavitsland did add that residents and health authorities should remain vigilant even though the risk in the short term may be low. 

“The good vaccination coverage in Norway indicates that we can still keep the Covid-19 epidemic under control in this country, but we must be vigilant because the Delta variant provides a certain degree of uncertainty in the future,” Aavitsland said. 

The report didn’t specify what the updated risk assessment of the Delta variant would mean for the government’s reopening strategy. 

Earlier in July, the government postponed the final phase of its strategy to lift coronavirus measures due to concerns over the spread of the Delta variant. 

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HEALTH

Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The World Health Organization's European office warned on Tuesday the risk of Covid-19 has not gone away, saying it was still responsible for nearly 1,000 deaths a week in the region. And the real figure may be much higher.

Covid-19 still causing 1,000 deaths a week in Europe, WHO warns

The global health body on May 5 announced that the Covid-19 pandemic was no longer deemed a “global health emergency.”

“Whilst it may not be a global public health emergency, however, Covid-19 has not gone away,” WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge told reporters.

The WHO’s European region comprises 53 countries, including several in central Asia.

“Close to 1,000 new Covid-19 deaths continue to occur across the region every week, and this is an underestimate due to a drop in countries regularly reporting Covid-19 deaths to WHO,” Kluge added, and urged authorities to ensure vaccination coverage of at least 70 percent for vulnerable groups.

Kluge also said estimates showed that one in 30, or some 36 million people, in the region had experienced so called “long Covid” in the last three years, which “remains a complex condition we still know very little about.”

“Unless we develop comprehensive diagnostics and treatment for long Covid, we will never truly recover from the pandemic,” Kluge said, encouraging more research in the area which he called an under-recognised condition.

Most countries in Europe have dropped all Covid safety restrictions but some face mask rules remain in place in certain countries in places like hospitals.

Although Spain announced this week that face masks will no longer be required in certain healthcare settings, including hospitals and pharmacies, with a couple of exceptions.

Sweden will from July 1st remove some of its remaining Covid recommendations for the public, including advice to stay home and avoid close contact with others if you’re ill or have Covid symptoms.

The health body also urged vigilance in the face of a resurgence of mpox, having recorded 22 new cases across the region in May, and the health impact of heat waves.

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