The corona epidemic is increasing sharply in Denmark, shows the latest trend report from the state’s epidemiologists.
COPENHAGEN (Nettavisen): On the streets of Copenhagen, several say that they support the government’s restrictions, which means, among other things, that you must show a valid vaccine pass at restaurants and on trains, that serving ends at 10 pm and that amusement parks, water parks, casinos and tivoli is closed. Mouthpieces are now mandatory in many places, and at the restaurants you meet waiters with an infection visor in front of their face.
– I would rather get rid of the corona than some of the restrictions now, says one of those Nettavisen spoke to on Thursday, Louise Frank Jørgensen.
But the restrictions are also controversial. Several advocate for relief for the vaccinated.
Best on infection control
The new wave of infections began earlier in Denmark than in Norway, and Norway feels the development in Denmark with an arguing eye because the countries are comparable and because Denmark, according to NIPH director Camilla Stoltenberg, has one of the world’s best surveillance systems for infection tracking.
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The trend report that came in Denmark on Thursday confirms that the covid-19 epidemic has increased sharply in recent weeks. From week 51, the number of new cases increased by 56 percent to an incidence figure per week of 2054 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. At the same time, the number of new admissions increased by 37 percent to 1,140 in week 52.
This is a clear increase from the previous trend report, which covered the period from week 49 to 50. Here, the corresponding figures were 50 per cent new cases of infection and 16 per cent new covid admissions to hospitals.
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Omikron alone drives the infection
– The infection is still at its highest level during the entire covid epidemic. And we see that it is now run by omikron alone, says ward doctor Rebecca Legarth at the Statens Serum Institut according to a press release.
– The number of admissions still does not increase to the same extent as the number of infected. But the level of new covid admissions and the total number of admissions is approaching the level at the end of January last year, she continues.
Admissions are still participating
The Statens Serum Institut describes an “accelerated” growth in growth driven by the omicron variant, which has dominated since mid-December and as of 28 December was estimated at 90 per cent. Covid admissions, on the other hand, are still driven by the delta variant, the epidemiologists point out, pointing to the natural delay from proven infection to admission.
The 20-year-olds are driving the infection
For several weeks, Danes aged 6-11 have been responsible for the highest infection rates. Now the age group is 20-24 years. In week 52, they had an incidence of as many as 3999 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, compared with 1916 cases per 100,000 in week 50. This is the highest incidence the Danes have demonstrated during the entire pandemic. In the next places, they come between 16-19 years and those between 25-29 years with an incidence of 3219 and 3107 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively.
– It is clear that the infection among 6-11-year-olds has dropped considerably after the school children were sent home before Christmas. We will follow how the infection will go in this group, when they now physically return to the schools, says Rebecca Legarth.
Increasing infection in nursing homes
The figures in the report also show that the infection has increased sharply in the nursing homes between week 51 and week 52. While in week 51 190 cases of infection were found among nursing home residents, the number was a total of 596 cases in week 52. This corresponds to more than a tripling in just one week . There were 12 covid-related deaths among nursing home residents in week 52.
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