During the summer and autumn, several European countries, including Norway, have removed most coronary restrictions and started living as normal.
Recently, however, several of the reopened countries have sounded the alarm after the infection and the number of hospital admissions have increased again, despite many being vaccinated.
Here in Norway, the infection and the number of hospital admissions have largely remained stable, but in the weekly report from the National Institute of Public Health (NIPH) from week 41, it appears that there is uncertainty about how the infection will develop through the autumn and winter.
– A warning to us all
– The spread of infection in Norway now – and not least the consequences of it – is clearly highest among unvaccinated people. Therefore, it can be said in many ways that we now have a pandemic that primarily affects the unvaccinated, says assistant health director, Espen Rostrup Nakstad, to Dagbladet.
He adds that at the same time there are some fully vaccinated people who become seriously ill and are admitted to hospital.
PROBLEMATIC: Assistant Director of Health Espen Rostrup Nakstad believes that the increased number of corona patients at the University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) is problematic if it continues to increase. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB
view more
– They do not make up a high proportion of those vaccinated, but are still numerous enough that it can be challenging for the health service if it increases towards the flu season, says Nakstad.
Of those infected in week 41, the incidence (number per 100,000 inhabitants) of reported cases of infection among unvaccinated people was about five times higher than among fully vaccinated residents aged 16 and over, according to NIPH.
At present, 84 per cent of the population over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated.
– Problematic
In recent days, there has been a significantly increasing infection trend in Troms and Finnmark. On Friday, 49 infected people were registered in the last 24 hours, and so far 176 infected people have been registered this week.
On Sunday, the University Hospital of Northern Norway (UNN) announced that they went from green to yellow emergency after an increase in inpatients with corona.
Over the week, the infection and the number of hospital admissions have increased, and on Friday, 20 covid patients were admitted to UNN.
The infection increases: – Surprised
Nakstad says that the situation is problematic.
– The increase in patients we have seen in Tromsø is problematic if it persists or increases. Therefore, the hospital has gone into yellow emergency and we together with FHI have regular meetings about this to follow the situation, he says and adds:
– Third-dose vaccination for those over the age of 65 will probably improve the situation somewhat, but at the same time we are entering a winter with more respiratory viruses in general. Therefore, this has high attention with us now.
– The pressure
The infection control chief in Tromsø, Trond Brattland, informs Dagbladet that the emergency preparedness at the hospital and in the rest of the health sector is under pressure.
– We have had infections at several institutions. GPs are also under pressure and they now have more patients with respiratory symptoms, Brattland tells Dagbladet.
Fear winter crisis: – Difficult month
He states that the municipality has not made a decision on whether they will introduce local infection control rules, but he assures that the municipality follows the situation closely and that they are in daily dialogue with FHI about the way forward.
– It is an assessment we take on an ongoing basis, and the situation changes from day to day. It is difficult to see how the situation will develop. It’s a bit like predicting the weather.
PRESSURE: Infection control chief physician in Tromsø, Trond Brattland, says that the health sector in the municipality is under pressure. Photo: Rune Stoltz Bertinussen / NTB
view more
Last week, in week 41, 193 infected people were registered in Tromsø. Of those infected, 112 were unvaccinated, eight were partially vaccinated and 73 were fully vaccinated. If you subtract the population under the age of 14, there were 148 infected, and about half of them are unvaccinated, according to the chief infection control officer.
In Tromsø, approximately 90 per cent of the population has received at least one dose of corona vaccine, and 85 per cent in the municipality have been fully vaccinated.
– It is obvious that there is a greater probability of becoming infected if you have not taken the vaccine, Brattland says.
– Unvaccinated people drive the outbreak
Hol municipality in Viken is one of the municipalities that has had a flourishing of infections recently. In connection with a public event during the autumn holidays, the infection must have continued to spread in the small municipality.
On Friday, 45 cases of infection were registered, but municipal chief physician Silje Marie Aasheim Koldal expects an increase in the next few days.
Hyttekommune takes corona attack
– We have control as far as possible. The infection tracing work and the test work work well, but it is difficult to get an overview of wild infection, says Koldal to Dagbladet.
The municipal chief says that everyone in the municipality has been offered a vaccine, but that as of today, approximately 4% of those over the age of 18 have not been vaccinated.
– The challenge is that the unvaccinated continue the outbreak. It is important to get as many people as possible to take the vaccine.
The municipality strongly recommends to keep your distance and wear a face mask where distance is not possible. In addition, they have strengthened measures in schools and kindergartens. It is continuously assessed whether more measures must be introduced.
Koldal says that in principle it is adults between 30 and 50 years who are infected.
– Can spread infection
Children and unvaccinated
Alta municipality in Troms and Finnmark broke a new infection record earlier this week with 23 cases in one day. During October, the municipality has so far registered 150 cases of corona.
The mayor of the municipality, Monica Nielsen, tells Dagbladet that many of the cases of infection are linked to a major outbreak around the turn of the month until October, but that this is due to individual cases with people who have traveled both abroad and across municipal borders.
INCREASED INFECTION: Mayor of Alta Monica Nielsen does not hope that Alta municipality will be in a similar patient situation as at UNN, after Alta has also had an increase in infection. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB
view more
– We hope we do not end up in a similar situation as UNN in Tromsø, says a worried mayor to Dagbladet.
Alta municipality is a few percent below the average for vaccination in the rest of the country, with 81 percent fully vaccinated as of 17 October.
Nielsen says that most cases of infection in the municipality are among children and young people, and unvaccinated adults.
– Fortunately, we are seeing an increase among young people who choose to be vaccinated. We are happy about that.
On the municipality’s website it says that 27 percent of those infected since October 1 are fully vaccinated.
Cold temperatures
Earlier this week, infection control chief Brattland told Dagbladet that he was surprised that the infection has increased in Troms and Finnmark, while the infection trend has remained stable in the rest of the country.
Breaks death records
Andøy municipality in Norland county has also had a high increase in infection in the last week
In the last 14 days, 22 cases of infection have been registered, and the infection control doctor in the municipality, Hedda Mørch, tells Dagbladet that they have not had as many infected people in the municipality, with about 5,000 inhabitants, as they have now.
view more
–
– We are in a situation where we now have to consider whether we must implement local measures, Mørch says to Dagbladet.
She emphasizes that they are still at an early stage with the outbreak in the municipality, but that they are following the situation closely.
– It is too early to say how this will develop, but it is clearly a concern, says Mørch.
She does not think it is coincidental that the infection is increasing in the north of the country.
Even (10) affected by severe childhood syndrome
– I wonder if it has something to do with it starting to get cold up here in the north, so therefore we stay to a greater extent inside.
Espen Rostrup Nakstad does not rule out that the infection trend in the north may have something to do with the weather.
– The increased infection trend in Troms and Finnmark can be related to more indoor contact between people at this time of year, but it can also have other causes. We are trying to find out more about it now in collaboration with FHI, the municipalities and the health trusts, says Nakstad.
–
