In several countries around Europe, the number of new cases of covid-19 is increasing sharply right now.
In Spain, the number of infections is currently higher than in the spring.
In France, too, the spread of infection is rising sharply.
At the same time, the World Health Organization warns that the number of deaths will increase during the autumn.
Cooling is an advantage for the virus
In Sweden, it has recently looked brighter.
The number of deaths, IVA cases and the number of cases detected have decreased.
But as it gets colder, the spread of infection can gain new momentum.
- This type of virus is a typical winter virus.
It would be strange if this virus does not also have an advantage when it gets really much colder.
Those infections usually peak in January, says Jan Albert, professor of infection control at Aktuellt.
Deaths are not rising sharply
But Jan Albert still looks a way out.
- Hopefully we can stop it with testing, infection tracking and maybe local measures.
If there is a spread of infection in a nursing home or a city, you may have to take measures right there to limit the spread of infection and not get large outbreaks.
And although the number of new cases is increasing in many places, deaths are not increasing at the same rate.
This can be due to two reasons, according to Jan Albert.
- One is other age groups, it is mainly younger people who have been discovered to be infected now.
The second is that the test capacity has increased so much, both in Sweden and in other countries, so that more of the cases that exist are discovered.