Belgium Facing 'Tsunami' of Covid Infections, Health Minister Sayshttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/oct/19/belgium-facing-tsunami-of-covid-infections-health-minister-saysBelgium is losing control of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and is very close to being overwhelmed by a “tsunami” of infection, the country’s health minister has said.
He said: “We are the most affected region in all of Europe. We are really close to a tsunami … that we no longer control what is happening. Today, we can still control what is happening, but with enormous difficulties and stress.
“If it continues to increase, the number of hospitalisations will be such that we will have to postpone more and more non-Covid care, which is also very dangerous.
... The numbers in Belgium have shot up since September, as adults returned to work and pupils went back to school after their summer break.
Between 9 and 15 October, an average of 7,876 new infections a day were reported, an increase of 79% from the previous week.
Last Tuesday, 12,051 infections with the corona virus had been identified, marking the “highest number of infections recorded in one day since the start of the pandemic,” said Dr Steven Van Gucht ... “We also passed the 10,000 infection mark on Wednesday, October 14, with 10,932 confirmed cases in one day.”
... The mayor of Namur, Maxime Prévot, said: “There is clearly a problem today in terms of testing, and even more so in terms of tracing. We do not have effective monitoring. We have kilometres of lines [of people] to be tested, then we wait days and days to have the results.”
“The laboratories are working at full speed. And Belgium is one of the EU countries which tests the most, But at some point, when there are too many patients, the system cracks.”
Between 11 and 17 October there were an average of 233.9 daily admissions to hospital, a 96% increase on the previous week.Belgium population: 11.46 million
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Poland will open a temporary hospital at Warsaw’s national stadium to ease the strain on the healthcare system from spiking coronavirus cases, the government said on Monday.
... Poland has recorded multiple new records in daily cases and deaths in the past weeks, with doctors reporting shortages of personnel, hospital beds and equipment.
“I fear that looking at the development of the situation we will have his infrastructure set up for weeks if not months in several places in Poland,” government spokesman Piotr Muller told state broadcaster TVP Info.
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The United States surpassed 8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases today since the beginning of the pandemic, as a new surge of infections in the Midwest and West brings daily case numbers back to levels not seen since the peak days of July and early August.
... Among the states where hospitals are starting to feel the strain is Wisconsin, where COVID-19 hospitalizations yesterday hit an all-time high of 1,043, with 264 people in intensive care units (ICUs), according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. State health officials told the paper that
ICUs across the state are more than 90% full, and hospitals in every region are reporting current or imminent staffing shortages.Elsewhere in the country, Indiana health officials say COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen to their highest level since May, and the Kansas City Star reports that some Kansas City area hospitals are turning away ambulances with COVID-19 patients because their beds are already filled. Both Missouri and Kansas are seeing surges in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/10/us-surpasses-8-million-covid-19-caseshttps://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2020/10/15/wisconsin-coronavirus-3-747-cases-17-covid-deaths-reported-thursday/3667837001/-----------------------------------
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who was recently released from the hospital after spending 7 days in the ICU with COVID-19, said in a statement yesterday that Americans should take the coronavirus very seriously. "No one should be happy to get the virus and no one should be cavalier about being infected or infecting others," he said. Christie also said he regretted not wearing a mask to the Sep 26 Rose Garden ceremony for Judge Amy Coney Barrett or several debate prep sessions with President Trump.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/15/politics/chris-christie-covid-19-statement/index.html