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Denmark, because of its relatively low population, national healthcare system, and superior testing and genetic sequencing of COVID, serves as a bit of a bellwether for us in this pandemic.
Trends that are first picked up in Denmark have a way of showing up elsewhere around the world a few months later.
Yesterday, as we've seen this week in the UK and Norway - Denmark announced new, tightened COVID restrictions - including the early closing of schools (by 1 week) for the Christmas holidays, new face mask requirements, the closure of bars, restaurants and nightclubs at midnight, and a reduced validity period (7 months down from 12) for COVID vaccine passports.
Today Denmark's SSI reports a nearly 10% jump in hospital admissions this week, over last, along with a rapidly increasing number of Omicron variant detections. Once again, children ages 6-11 are seeing the highest rate of infection.
(translated)
The infection and the hospitalizations have picked up speed again
The number of new covid-19 cases increased by 19% and the number of new admissions by 9.6% from week 47 to 48. Thus, the growth of the covid-19 epidemic has picked up speed again. At the same time, the number of cases with the new covid-19 variant omikron is increasing rapidly.
Last edited December 9, 2021
After a slight slowdown in numbers last week, the covid-19 epidemic has picked up speed again.
According to the latest trend report from the Statens Serum Institut (SSI), the number of new covid-19 cases thus increased by 19% from week 47 to week 48. And the number of new admissions increased by 9.6%. This is significantly more than from weeks 46 to 47, when the two figures were 3% and 3.3% respectively.
In total, the incidence was 588 cases per. 100,000 in week 48 against 495 cases per. 100,000 in week 47.
See the new trend report
The number of infected 6-11 sets a new record
According to the report, the infection is still clearly highest among school children aged 6-11 years. Here, in week 47, an incidence of 1,959 cases per 100,000 against 1,675 cases per 100,000 the week before. It is far higher than for the other age groups and by far the highest incidence at any point in the pandemic.
"The picture has been like this for a number of weeks, and it still is. It is still the infection among the 6-11-year-olds, where up to 2% of the age group became infected in week 48, which helps to drive the epidemic ", 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 thus 724 per. 100,000. And in general, the incidence is over 500 per. 100,000 for all age groups. The only exceptions are the 0-2 year olds and the 50+ year olds.
Increasing number of cases with omicron
On Sunday 28 November, the first two cases of the covid-19 variant omicron (B.1.1.529) were detected in Denmark. Both cases had travel history from South Africa.
Since then, the number of new omikron cases has increased rapidly. On December 7, a total of 403 cases had been detected.
“Parallel to the development of the general epidemic, which is still mainly driven by the delta variant, we are now seeing this sharp growth in the number of cases of omicron. During week 48, we have seen incipient community infection with the variant. Much of this infection has been seen in connection with super-spreading events. It is the same pattern as when the delta variant spread in the early summer ", says Rebecca Legarth.
Fewer died
While the number of new infections is rising again, the number of deaths has fallen since the previous trend report. From 75 died in week 47 to 65 died the following week. This corresponds to a decrease of just over 12%.
There were 6 covid-19-related deaths among residents of nursing homes in week 48.
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 48 4.2 times higher for unvaccinated groups over 12 years of age than for those who have received the vaccine.
"It is quite clear that the vaccines give less risk of infection among the vaccinated and provide better protection against becoming seriously ill if you become infected anyway. According to our figures, there are currently 38 admissions per. 100,000 among unvaccinated against 9 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 402 per. 100,000 in the North Jutland Region to more than double in the Capital Region, where the incidence was 828 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.
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See the new trend report
