Second wave 'very unlikely' says Danish health chief
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Published: 12 May, 2020 CET.
Updated: Tue 12 May 2020 13:13 CET
The head of Denmark's infectious diseases agency SSI, has said he believes a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic was "very unlikely" in the country.
Kåre Mølbak told a government press conference that the actions Denmark had taken to suppress the virus made second and third waves of infection unlikely.
"If the virus had just run free run and we had done nothing, then there would be a likelihood that another wave would come," he said.
"But now we have learned so much about how to deal with the infection. We have a testing capacity and we have the opportunity to isolate people who have been infected. At the same time, doctors and nurses know how to deal with patients."
Mølbak pointed out that his agency now estimates that the reproduction number in Denmark had fallen to 0.7 since the country first started lifting coronavirus restrictions.
This means that if ten people get infected, they will only pass on the disease to an average of seven others, meaning the pandemic will gradually die out.
"We are still on the downward curve. That is why I am very confident now that we are entering the second phase of reopening," he said.
He said that the new test, track and trace strategy announced on Tuesday would ensure a new wave of the infection didn't happen.
“We must do everything in our power to prevent a real second wave. I think we have the prerequisites for that now," he said. "But we may see changes in the reproduction number."
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Kåre Mølbak told a government press conference that the actions Denmark had taken to suppress the virus made second and third waves of infection unlikely.
"If the virus had just run free run and we had done nothing, then there would be a likelihood that another wave would come," he said.
"But now we have learned so much about how to deal with the infection. We have a testing capacity and we have the opportunity to isolate people who have been infected. At the same time, doctors and nurses know how to deal with patients."
Mølbak pointed out that his agency now estimates that the reproduction number in Denmark had fallen to 0.7 since the country first started lifting coronavirus restrictions.
This means that if ten people get infected, they will only pass on the disease to an average of seven others, meaning the pandemic will gradually die out.
"We are still on the downward curve. That is why I am very confident now that we are entering the second phase of reopening," he said.
He said that the new test, track and trace strategy announced on Tuesday would ensure a new wave of the infection didn't happen.
“We must do everything in our power to prevent a real second wave. I think we have the prerequisites for that now," he said. "But we may see changes in the reproduction number."
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