“The peak of the second wave is now two weeks behind us and all indicators continue to evolve positively. We are seeing a further decline in infection rates, hospital rates and death rates,” said virologist Steven Van Gucht at the Crisis Centre’s press conference. He does, however, warn that contamination figures will fall less quickly. “The road is long and not without obstacles.”
“The peak of the second wave is now two weeks behind us and all indicators continue to evolve positively” — © National Crisis Center
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“We now record 3,672 new cases per day, which corresponds to a decrease of 28 percent, or a halving of the number of infections every fifteen days. This decrease is less pronounced than in the first half of November, when we saw a halving of the number of infections. the seven days “, says Van Gucht.
“We are doing better in the European ranking. We are in eighteenth place in 31 countries, just below the UK and just above the Netherlands. If the trend continues, we will detect 500 infections per day by the end of the year.”
The age distribution for the number of new infections remains relatively unchanged. ‘The decline is less pronounced among people over 80, which is in line with the many outbreaks in residential care centers. The number of new infections in children and teenagers is no longer falling, but that should not be linked to the reopening of the schools, it is too early for that. We will continue to closely monitor the decline, ‘says Van Gucht.
Fever and long-term complaints
Van Gucht also used the press conference to warn that many people wrongly believe that they should wait for a fever before informing a doctor. “Less than half of people with Covid-19 develop a fever. Although this may be a symptom, it is also often not present. When you have symptoms such as a dry, persistent cough, shortness of breath, sudden loss of odor, or other typical vague symptoms. If you have a cold or flu, stay at home. Contact your doctor for advice. But don’t wait for a fever before raising the alarm, “said the virologist.
He also returned to long-term complaints. “Most people recover quickly after one or two weeks, but some have complaints for a longer period of time. The study by the University of Antwerp shows that about 20 percent still have certain symptoms after two months, foreign studies speak of ten percent. A British study found that 1 in 50 still had complaints after three months, “said Van Gucht.
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Long-term complaints are more often reported by younger women, overweight people and older people. “Usually this is a feeling of general fatigue, but also persistent shortness of breath, for example when taking a kick, but also muscle pain and difficulty concentrating, as well as prolonged loss of smell and taste. Others also complain of chest pain, recurrent flare-ups. fever, skin rash and hair loss. Certain neurological complaints or memory problems also return, and there are sometimes also depressive complaints, such as anxiety or mood swings. “
“The virus has already disappeared from the body by that time, but complaints can therefore last longer”, says Van Gucht. “The recovery process is longer for people who have been severely affected, but it also occurs in people who had mild form of the disease.”
“It is important to emphasize that this type of long-term complaints can also occur with infections from other viruses, it is not necessarily a typical phenomenon of covid-19. There is still a lot of uncertainty, this must be investigated in long-term studies. If you have persistent If you have any complaints, please contact your family doctor and get a good follow-up, “Van Gucht advises.
National Crisis Center: “Research is still needed before we really know the long-term complaints”
National Crisis Center: “Research is still needed before we really know the long-term complaints”
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National Crisis Center: “Don’t go shopping abroad”
“Don’t go shopping abroad”, Yves Stevens of the National Crisis Center.
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