The surge in coronavirus cases in China isn't likely to have a major impact on Europe, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). "But we cannot be complacent," warned Hans Kluge, WHO's Europe director.
Covid-19 cases have recently soared in China after the government lifted heavy restrictions. Several European countries, including Belgium, have tightened measures for people travelling from China, including a mandatory Covid-19 test before travellers can enter their countries.
Some health experts believe that Covid-19 is spreading in China because the Chinese government didn't properly innoculate the population before reopening the country, with low vaccination rates among the elderly. Moreover, after two years of China's "zero Covid" policy, there is no immunity in the population against the virus.
It isn't "unreasonable for countries to take precautionary measures to protect their populations," said Kluger, but added that those measured should be "rooted in science, be proportionate and non-discriminatory."
More tests needed
Kluger called on European countries to keep testing their populations so they can keep track of which variants are circulating or developing.
"In the first 5 weeks of 2022, variant information on 1.2 million cases was submitted as part of weekly surveillance data to the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). However, this dropped to about 90 000 cases in the last 5 weeks of the year."
He added that the countries that still carry out adequate testing are Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Denmark.
The WHO believes that a new Covid-19 variant is emerging in Europe from the XBB.1.5 subvariant which has already been "spreading rapidly across the United States."
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The organisation is investigating its potential impact but warned that "after three long pandemic years... we cannot afford more pressures on our health systems."
Kluger called on European countries to increase vaccine uptake, promote face masks in crowded places and public transport and ensure proper ventilation in public buildings.
Europe is currently being hit by the flu, the RN virus as well as Covid-19, which the WHO expects will have an impact on "our health services and populations this winter."
