Constant surges of coronavirus infections expected without a vaccine

Brussels, Belgium | XINHUA | The head of the European health advisory body warned on Wednesday that constant surges and decreases of COVID-19 cases will continue until a vaccine is available.

Andrea Ammon, director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, said that the increase in cases in recent weeks was close to the numbers reported in March. Although transmission was on the increase, there were fewer hospitalizations this time around.

She could not say whether the spike in cases reported in many countries across the world in recent weeks was a second or third wave of infections, but urged that proper measures be kept in place to limit the infection rate.

In an exchange of views session with European lawmakers during a meeting of the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, Ammon said younger people were seen affected by the virus so this could explain the fewer hospitalisations.

However, the scenario changed in August when health authorities started seeing more older people affected by the deadly virus, she added.

“We have been seeing an increase in the last five weeks. Although it is a slower increase, we are almost back to the numbers of March,” said Ammon.

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