The latest statistics on the incidence of coronavirus in Belgium confirm scientific models about the onset of a new “wave” of COVID-19 by mid-October, the Sciensano Public Health Institute said.
Updated data from Sciensano released on Tuesday indicates a significant increase in coronavirus infections and COVID-19 hospitalizations.
Last week, daily infections reached an average of 2823 cases, which means an increase of 26% compared to the previous one. During the same period, an average of 94 patients were hospitalized daily. This figure rose by 28% over the week.
The vast majority of cases (92.3%) are infected with a subvariant of the Omicron BA.5 strain. The number of new cases of the disease reached 306 per 100 thousand inhabitants in 14 days.
The average daily number of deaths from coronavirus has increased to almost four, a 42% increase from the previous week. Since the beginning of the pandemic in Belgium, 32,690 people have died from COVID-19.
In the meantime, in France, in connection with the increase in infections with the coronavirus, the issue of resuming the mandatory wearing of protective masks is being considered, Brigitte Autrans, chairman of the French Committee for the Monitoring of Sanitary Risks (Covars), said Tuesday on the RMC radio station.
“All indicators are growing: positive tests, the number of hospitalizations, visits to the emergency rooms of hospitals, and even an increase in hospitalizations in intensive care units is planned. That is, yes, this is the eighth” wave, “Professor Otran stated.
“We really need to wear masks,” she said.
