Covid-19 wave in Denmark 'has peaked' but influenza still spreading
A wave of Covid-19 infections in Denmark has now peaked along with a number of other respiratory infections, according to national infectious disease agency State Serum Institute (SSI).
Data published by the agency show that the incidence of Covid-19 appears to be declining.
Whooping cough and atypical pneumonia infections also appear to have peaked, while there has been a decrease in the number of hospitalisations with RS virus compared to the preceding week, SSI’s figures show.
The number of influenza cases is still increasing, however.
Prior to Christmas, SSI named each of the five types of respiratory infection as contributing to a wave of illnesses across Denmark which was not expected to subside until after the holiday season.
“We believe Covid-19 infections to have peaked, and we are therefore on the way down [the curve]. We are still at a high level of infection, so you will still see infections in the community, but we expect Covid-19 cases to now decrease,” medical consultant and head of department at SSI, Bolette Søborg, told news wire Ritzau.
“But we can also see that there is an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital with influenza, and this is because the influenza virus is still circulating. So influenza is expected to increase in the coming weeks,” she added.
SSI’s data is based on people who have been tested for the relevant diseases and is updated on Wednesday each week.
The latest data relates to respiratory infections detected between December 25th-31st.
Fewer people are generally tested in the period between Christmas and New Year, meaning fewer cases are detected.
The new SSI figures nevertheless give a reliable impression of the situation, Søborg said.
“When we look at infection trends, we look at several data sources. For Covid-19, we use wastewater monitoring as well as the number of hospitalisations. And we can see that the wastewater and hospital admissions data both show a decline in Covid-19,” she said.
In addition to Covid-19 and influenza incidence, SSI also monitors atypical pneumonia (mycoplasma), whooping cough and RS virus.
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Data published by the agency show that the incidence of Covid-19 appears to be declining.
Whooping cough and atypical pneumonia infections also appear to have peaked, while there has been a decrease in the number of hospitalisations with RS virus compared to the preceding week, SSI’s figures show.
The number of influenza cases is still increasing, however.
Prior to Christmas, SSI named each of the five types of respiratory infection as contributing to a wave of illnesses across Denmark which was not expected to subside until after the holiday season.
“We believe Covid-19 infections to have peaked, and we are therefore on the way down [the curve]. We are still at a high level of infection, so you will still see infections in the community, but we expect Covid-19 cases to now decrease,” medical consultant and head of department at SSI, Bolette Søborg, told news wire Ritzau.
“But we can also see that there is an increase in the number of people admitted to hospital with influenza, and this is because the influenza virus is still circulating. So influenza is expected to increase in the coming weeks,” she added.
SSI’s data is based on people who have been tested for the relevant diseases and is updated on Wednesday each week.
The latest data relates to respiratory infections detected between December 25th-31st.
Fewer people are generally tested in the period between Christmas and New Year, meaning fewer cases are detected.
The new SSI figures nevertheless give a reliable impression of the situation, Søborg said.
“When we look at infection trends, we look at several data sources. For Covid-19, we use wastewater monitoring as well as the number of hospitalisations. And we can see that the wastewater and hospital admissions data both show a decline in Covid-19,” she said.
In addition to Covid-19 and influenza incidence, SSI also monitors atypical pneumonia (mycoplasma), whooping cough and RS virus.
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