The R number is 0.9, according to FHI. The number of new infections per week has gone down.
—
The trend of infection is decreasing, reports FHI in its latest weekly report. The so-called R-number is 0.9. When the R-number is below 1, it means that the infection trend is declining.
There has been a decline in reported cases in the last two weeks after the peak in week 49.
The number of new cases of infection decreased by 27 per cent from 31,074 in week 50 to 22,593 cases in week 51.
There is a decrease in reported cases in all age groups and all counties in week 51. The age group 6–12 years still had the most reported cases in relation to the population last week (857 per 100,000) and Oslo had the most reported cases per. 100,000 for weeks 50 and 51 combined (1680), followed by Viken (1321).
According to FHI, the decrease in the number of reported cases may be due to both reduced testing at Christmas, new national measures from 15 December and behavioral changes in the population.
Fewer patients
These are the other main points in FHI’s weekly report, which was released on Wednesday afternoon.
- Fewer patients. The number of new patients who have been admitted to hospital with covid-19 decreased from 254 to 192 (the latter number may be slightly adjusted upwards).
- There has been an increase in the number of new patients admitted in the age group 18–29 years, from 7 to 14 people.
- In other age groups, a decline has been reported so far.
- 59 per cent of those newly admitted to hospital were unvaccinated, while 38 per cent were fully vaccinated. Since there are far more vaccinated than unvaccinated in the population, this means that the unvaccinated are strongly overrepresented.
- So far, 43 covid-19 associated deaths have been registered in week 51 after 51 in week 50 and 49 in week 49. The number for week 51 can be adjusted upwards. In week 51, the median age was 83 years.
The proportion of omikron cases is rising
The proportion of omicron cases among those screened has increased and has more than doubled week by week, from around 6 per cent in week 49, 16 per cent in week 50 and 36 per cent in week 51, but with large regional differences.
The proportion of omicrons is highest in Oslo and Viken and amounted to 47 per cent and 43 per cent, respectively, of the screened cases in week 51.
Very little flu
There have been fewer respiratory symptoms in the population as a whole. The number of admissions with respiratory infections is also declining.
In week 50, the percentage distribution of admissions with the different groups of respiratory infections was as follows: lower respiratory tract infections 47 per cent, RS virus infection 14 per cent, covid-19 30 per cent, upper respiratory tract infections 8 per cent and influenza 1 per cent.
Influenza is on the rise in Europe, and the ECDC declared last week that the outbreak in Europe was under way.
But NIPH states that the level of influenza infection is “unusually low for the season”.
– Great uncertainty about future developments
FHI writes that “there is great uncertainty about the development of both the covid-19 epidemic and the flu in the coming weeks”.
High vaccination coverage contributes to protection against severe coronary heart disease.
Severe covid-19 now particularly affects unvaccinated people and fully vaccinated people with underlying disease.
NIPH believes that it is crucial that unvaccinated people start their vaccination, and that first people over the age of 65 receive their refresher dose and then people over the age of 45. In addition, healthcare professionals, especially those who care for the elderly, must be offered a refreshing dose to further reduce the risk of infection to patients.
–
