Coronavirus (Covid-19): what is the situation in the world?

Coronavirus in Italy: more deadly than in China

It is hard to believe it, yet it is true: this Thursday, March 19, 2020, the number of deaths linked to the coronavirus epidemic in Italy reached 3,405 … against 3,245 to date in China. In the space of 20 hours, between Tuesday March 17 and Wednesday March 18, Italy recorded 475 additional deaths, a (sad) record never reached in Asia.

This Thursday, March 19, 2020, Italy began its second week of national confinement: with the closure of businesses and schools and the ban on gatherings, 60 million Italians are strongly encouraged to stay at home. Faced with disobedience, some regions have decided to toughen up – for example, Emilia-Romagna has just banned outings on the grounds of “walking” or “jogging”. With (according to experts) more than 100,000 Italians infected, confinement should extend beyond April 3, 2020.

As for hospitals, the situation is dramatic. Asked by our colleagues fromEuronews, Dr. Lorenzo D’Antiga (director of the pediatric unit and the transplant center of the Papa Giovanni XXIII hospital in Bergamo) states that “Right now we’re dealing with bed saturation, so we’re really in trouble. (…) All the intensive care units in the region are full. So that’s a big, big deal“.

Good news at last ? Data from Italian civil protection, published on Tuesday March 17, 2020, show that the progression of the Covid-19 coronavirus is currently slowing in Italy, with growth “which is no longer exponential“.

Coronavirus in Germany: a low death rate

This Thursday, March 19, 2020, Germany recorded 10,999 cases of coronavirus and 20 deaths, i.e. a mortality rate of 0.18% – against 2.9% in France and 8.3% in Italy.

How to explain this low mortality rate? “It’s hard to disentangle (…) We don’t have a real answer and it’s probably a combination of different factors“recognizes Richard Pebody, responsible forWorld Health Organization (WHO).

First, Germany is (very) well equipped medically: the country has 25,000 beds with respiratory assistance against 7,000 in France and 5,000 in Italy. In addition, the German government has announced that it wants to “double” this number “in the coming weeks“.

Deuzio, Germany tests nearly 12,000 people every day: Coronavirus screenings focus on individuals showing symptoms and having been in contact with sick people. By way of comparison, this Tuesday, March 17, 2020, the French Directorate General of Health announced that “daily testing capacity increased from 2,000 to 2,500“…

Towards containment? This Monday March 16, 2020, Germany decided to set up border controls with 5 countries – including France: only cross-border workers now have the right to enter the country. Schools are closed, as are playgrounds and places of worship. On Wednesday March 18, 2020, Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the Germans to “stay at home”: the country is ready for containment.

Coronavirus in South Korea: massive screenings

South Korea today has 8,565 coronavirus cases and 91 deaths. The second most affected country in Asia by the coronavirus epidemic after China, South Korea has managed to contain the spread of the virus without resorting to containment measures. Korean strategy? Massive screenings with more than 250,000 tests between February and March 2020.

In South Korea, there are now 43 “drive”, that is to say “checkpoints” installed on the roads where medical personnel test drivers (via swabs) without them even having to. to get out of their car: the country is able to test up to 15,000 people per day. Four national companies are responsible for producing as many screening kits as possible.

This vast screening campaign is, however, to the detriment … of the personal lives of Koreans. Indeed, each individual affected by the coronavirus has their privacy scrutinized (via text messages, CCTV cameras, etc.) in order to quarantine as many patients as possible.

A really effective strategy? If South Korea seemed to have succeeded in its bet to stem the progression of the coronavirus, the figures are not of this opinion: this Thursday March 19, 2020, the country experienced a worrying rebound with a 50% increase in cases in just 24 hours. The reason: the discovery of an epidemic focus in a retirement home in the south-east of the country.

Coronavirus in the United States: the worst-case scenario

That’s it: according to figures released by Johns-Hopkins University this Thursday, March 19, 2020, the United States has just exceeded the threshold of 10,000 cases of coronavirus with 154 deaths to date. The United States is now the sixth country in number of confirmed cases behind China, Italy, Iran, Spain and Germany, followed then by France and South Korea.

As of Friday, March 13, 2020, Donald Trump banned nationals of twenty-six European countries (including France) from traveling to the United States. In a second speech, the US president recommended limiting gatherings to 10 people and “staying at home”.

In New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles, public places (bars, restaurants, beaches, etc.) are closed and restaurant chains only sell take-out (at least) until April 7, 2020. This Monday, March 16, 2020, the state of New Jersey was the first to announce a curfew between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. “for non-essential travel”.

A floating hospital. This Wednesday, March 18, 2020, President Trump announced the dispatch of a “hospital ship” (with 1,000 rooms and operating rooms) to New York. The goal: to cope with an almost inevitable influx of patients in the coming days.

Indeed: New York State is the most affected in the United States (with more than 2,300 confirmed cases) and scientific projections show that there may be a need for 110,000 beds (including 37,000 in intensive care) in over the next 45 days. Currently, the state has only 53,000 beds (including 3,000 in intensive care).

Coronavirus in Sweden: no restrictive measures (or almost)

On Wednesday March 18, 2020, Sweden had 1,279 cases of the Covid-19 coronavirus and 8 deaths. Yet unlike its neighbors (Norway and Denmark are in national containment, Finland has declared a state of emergency), Sweden has not put restrictive measures in place – yet.

Gatherings of more than 500 people are prohibited, high schools and universities are closed (since Tuesday, March 17), teleworking is encouraged, people over the age of 70 are invited to stay at home, and travel is not recommended. . However, bars and restaurants remain open – ditto for nurseries and primary schools.

How to explain this behavior? First, the Swedes have understood that children are frequently asymptomatic carriers of the virus: the government therefore considers that the youngest should go to school to avoid contamination of adults in the family – and in particular grandparents.

Deuzio, the Swedish company (like the British company) relies on the concept of “collective immunity”: in short, if half of the population contracts the virus, it will protect the other half. Third, the Swedish government relies on civic discipline: thus, despite the absence of confinement, many parents have chosen to keep their children at home … if not to confine themselves at home.

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