The Covid-19 has caused the death of more than 1.5 million people since the start of the pandemic in Europe, where several countries are restoring restrictions to contain record contamination, according to an AFP count made from reports officials Thursday at 10:00 GMT.
Some 1,500,105 deaths have been officially recorded in the European region (52 countries and territories ranging from the Atlantic coast to Azerbaijan and Russia) since the first death on the continent in February 2020. The number of new deaths is up since mid-July (4,210 per day on average over the last seven days, + 1% over one week) in the area, again the epicenter of the pandemic.
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This assessment, which takes into account the deaths recorded by the national health authorities, only represents a part of the deaths actually linked to the coronavirus. The WHO estimates that by considering the excess mortality directly and indirectly linked to Covid-19, the toll of the pandemic could be two to three times higher than that officially recorded. The number of new deaths has been on the rise since mid-July (4,210 per day on average for the last seven days, + 1% compared to last week, + 5% compared to the previous week). This figure reaches a level similar to that of autumn 2020, when Europe entered its second wave, during which the continent experienced its deadliest week between January 14 and 20, 2021, and the countryside vaccination against coronavirushad not yet started.
Different balance sheets between countries
But in comparison, the pace of progress of these two waves is notably different. With some 29,500 deaths between November 18 and 24, new deaths on the continent have multiplied by 4 since mid-July, or in 20 weeks. Last year, it took only 5 weeks to go from 7,000 to 30,000 weekly deaths. Currently, the worst-affected country is Russia, which records nearly 30% of the continent's daily new deaths, with an average of 1,246 deaths per day. According to official figures that the authorities themselves consider largely underestimated, the country is also the most bereaved with a total of 269,057 deaths. According to the national statistics agency Rosstat, which has a broader definition of Covid deaths, the total toll of the pandemic in Russia isthus established at nearly 450,000 deaths at the end of September.
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The United Kingdom (144,286 deaths) and Italy (133,415 deaths) follow Russia with the highest total number of deaths.
The number of new contaminations has also been on the rise since early October in Europe.
These new officially identified contaminations have never been so numerous (369,915 cases on average per day between November 18 and 24, + 14% compared to the previous week) - but the test methods have changed a lot since the spring 2020. To fight the pandemic, the WHO called in early November to continue vaccination, to massively use masks and to practice social distancing measures.
The organization fears 700,000 more deaths in the region by the spring.