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Because of their relatively small population (5.8 million), a well-monitored universal healthcare system, and a high degree of genomic testing, reports from Denmark's SSI (Statens Serum Institut) have been particularly valuable in tracking the emergence and impact of different COVID variants over the past two years.
Today they provide two updates. First, a more than a doubling of the number of confirmed Omicron variant cases over that reported yesterday (n=6), and second, a report on COVID cases, hospitalizations, and deaths for epi week 47.
Denmark, like much of Europe, has been in the throws of a Delta resurgence, and has been reporting higher infections rates (per 100,000) than either Germany or the UK. While their current problem is Delta, the emergence of Omicron threatens to compound those problems in the weeks and months to come.
Status of the omikron variant (B.1.1.529) per 12/02/21
The corona variant omicron has now been found in 14 cases in total. Of which 11 cases related to travel activities.Last edited December 2, 2021
The result of the recent days' genome genome sequencing (WGS) of variant PCR tests suspected of omicron virus variant has now arrived.
The snapshot in Denmark is as follows:
- 14 confirmed cases that are WGS-verified infected with the covid-19 variant omikron. Of which 11 with connection to travel activity.
- 18 cases are currently suspected after variant PCR and are awaiting WGS.
- 3 of yesterday's suspects have now been disproved as Delta variant.
This next (translated) report compares the most recent Epi Week (#47) to the prior week, and finds a sharp (92%) increase in COVID related deaths.
Infection and hospitalizations are still rising, but not as sharply last week
The number of new covid-19 cases increased by 3% and the number of new admissions by 3.3% from week 46 to 47. This is less than the growth in recent weeks. In turn, the number of covid-related deaths increased from 38 in week 46 to 73 deaths in week 47.
Last edited December 2, 2021
The daily number of new infected and hospitalized with covid-19 is still increasing. But the increase was smaller last week last week less than it has made the increase in previous weeks.
According to the latest trend report from the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the number of new covid-19 cases thus increased by 3% from week 46 to week 47. And the number of new admissions increased by 3.3%. This is less than from weeks 45 to 46, when the two figures were 24% and 20.4% respectively.
In total, the incidence was 495 cases per. 100,000 in week 47 against 480 cases per. 100,000 in week 46.
See the new trend report.
Record number of 6-11-year-olds infected
According to the report, the infection is still clearly highest among school children aged 6-11 years. Here, in week 47, an incidence of 1,675 cases per 100,000 against 1,562 cases per. 100,000 the week before. It is far higher than for the other age groups and the highest incidence at any point in the pandemic.
"It is still the infection among the 6-11-year-olds that is helping to drive the epidemic right now," says ward doctor Rebecca Legarth from SSI.
Similarly, the incidence is also high in other age groups. Among the 40-49-year-olds, it was 594 per. 100,000 followed by the 3-5 year olds (561), the 12-15 year olds (537) and the 30-39 year olds (531)
Many died
While the number of new infections is rising less sharply than before, the number of deaths has grown significantly since the previous trend report. From 38 died in week 46 to 73 died the following week. This corresponds to an increase of just over 92%.
There were 7 covid-19-related deaths among nursing home residents in week 47.
Vaccines protect against infection and hospitalizations
The report also clearly shows - as previous reports have done - that you are far better off against covid-19 if you are vaccinated than if you are not.
The figures show that the risk of becoming infected was 2.6 times higher among the unvaccinated groups over 12 years of age compared to those who have been vaccinated. And the risk of becoming so ill from covid-19 that one has to be hospitalized was in week 47 4.6 times higher for unvaccinated groups over 12 years of age than for those who have received the vaccine.
"According to our figures, there are currently 37 admissions per. 100,000 among unvaccinated against 8 per. 100,000 among vaccinated calculated for all groups from 12 years and up ", says Rebecca Legarth.Most infection in the Capital Region
There are also still large differences in the level of infection around the country. From an incidence of 342 per. 100,000 in the North Jutland Region to more than double in the Capital Region, where the incidence was 720 per. 100,000 in week 47.
At the same time, the positive percentage has stabilized from 3.2% to 3.1% from week 46 to 47. In the Capital Region, the positive percentage was 4.2% in week 47.
RS virus and influenza
The trend report also shows the trend for other respiratory infections such as RS virus.
Here is the incidence per. 100,000 inhabitants decreased from 3 in week 46 to 2 in week 47. And the number of new admissions has shrunk from 80 to 56 in the same period.
Finally, the report shows that the incidence of influenza is still very low in Denmark. Here, the incidence per. 100,000 inhabitants all the way down to 0.4 in week 47.
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