COVID-19
Update Eight Months into the Pandemic 
November 12, 2020. WHO map of coronavirus cases worldwide as of 4:40 pm.
November 11 marked eight months since the WHO characterized
the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19 as a pandemic. The recent
period has seen a marked upsurge in cases, whereby infection
curves that had been flattened now threaten to exceed the
capacity of health care systems. As of November 13,
there have been at least 53,256,556
recorded cases of people infected with COVID-19. Of these,
37,316,738 people have recovered and 14,637,743 cases are active.
The number of people who have died from COVID-19 is 1,302,075.
The number of daily new cases has risen sharply in the last month
alone, from 419,312 on October 16 to an all-time high of 647,651
on November 12. Daily deaths were 6,226 on October 16 and also
hit an all-time high on November 11 of 10,163. The
20 countries with the highest number of cases on
November 8 were, in descending order: the U.S. (10,880,526),
India (8,729,190), Brazil (5,783,647), France (1,898,710), Russia
(1,880,551), Spain (1,484,868), the UK (1,290,195), Argentina
(1,284,519), Colombia (1,174,012), Italy (1,066,401), Mexico
(991,835), Peru (930,237), Germany (752,830), South Africa
(744,732), Iran (738,322), Poland (665,547), Chile (526,438),
Belgium (520,393), Iraq (514,496) and Ukraine (512,652). As
of November 13, the 20 countries with the highest infection rate
(measured in cases per million) among countries
with a population greater than one million in population are: Bahrain
(48,875), Qatar (48,211), Belgium (44,830), Czech Republic
(41,682), Armenia (38,574), Israel (35,026), Panama (33,034), the
U.S. (32,801), Spain (31,754), Kuwait (31,594), Switzerland
(29,631), France (29,065), Argentina (28,326), Peru (28,070),
Chile (27,452), Brazil (27,139), the Netherlands (25,456),
Slovenia (25,193), Costa Rica (23,662) and Oman (23,178). The
20 countries with the highest number of deaths as of
November 13 are, in descending order: the U.S. (248,638), Brazil
(164,332), India (128,722), Mexico (97,056), UK (50,928), Italy
(43,589), France (42,960), Iran (40,582), Spain (40,461), Peru
(35,067), Argentina (34,782), Colombia (33,491), Russia (32,443),
South Africa (20,076), Indonesia (15,037), Chile (14,699),
Belgium (13,891), Ecuador (12,946), Germany (12,312) and Iraq
(11,580). The 20 countries with the highest
mortality rate, for countries over one million in
population, (measured in cases per million population) as of November
13 are: Belgium
(1,197), Peru (1,058), Spain (865), Brazil (771), Argentina
(767), Chile (767), Bolivia (752), the U.S. (750), Mexico (750),
the UK (749), Ecuador (730), Italy (721), France (658), Colombia
(656), Panama (652), Sweden (609), North Macedonia (594), Armenia
(572), Bosnia and Herzegovina (552) and the Czech Republic
(537). For countries in the northern hemisphere,
the onset of winter is expected to increase the infection rate,
all other factors being equal. In Europe, which was
a hotspot early in the pandemic and
instituted lockdowns in the spring, a sharply worsening situation
has seen increased measures such as mandatory mask-wearing and
reduced hours for bars and restaurants being put in place over
the last month. Lockdowns at the national or regional level are
being brought back in Ireland, Britain, France, Germany, Spain
and the Czech Republic. Situation in Canada
As of November 12, Public Health Canada reports a total of
282,477 cases recorded in Canada. Of these, 226,775 had
recovered and 45,034 remained active. There have been
10,768 deaths. There were 5,516 new cases on November 12. As of
November 13, Canada's infection rate is 7,463 cases per million
population and the death rate is 284 per million. Most provinces
and territories across the country have experienced a surge in
cases in recent weeks. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada's
Chief Public Health Officer, said in
her November 12 statement that: "As the resurgence
of COVID-19 activity continues in Canada,
we are tracking a range of epidemiological indicators to monitor
where the disease is most active, where it is spreading and how
it is impacting the health of Canadians and public health,
laboratory and health care capacity. The following is the latest
summary on national numbers and trends, and the actions we all
need to be taking to maintain COVID-19 at manageable levels
across the country. [...] "Though the cumulative
number is high and continues to
increase, with several regions experiencing accelerated growth,
it is important to remember that the vast majority of Canadians
remain susceptible to COVID-19. This is why it is important for
everyone to continue with individual precautions that will keep
ourselves, our families and our communities safer. "[...]
The latest national-level data indicate daily averages
of 4,015 new cases (November 4-10) and 54,668 people tested, with
5.8 per cent testing positive (November 1-7). Outbreaks continue
to contribute to COVID-19 spread in Canada. Although the size can
vary from just a few cases to larger clusters, outbreaks are
being reported in a range of settings including long-term care
and assisted living facilities, schools, congregate living
settings, industrial work settings and large social
gatherings. "The number of people experiencing
severe illness continues to
increase. Provincial and territorial data indicate that an
average of 1,361 people with COVID-19 were being treated in
Canadian hospitals each day during the most recent seven-day
period (November 4-10), including 258 of whom were being treated
in intensive care units. During the same period, there were an
average of 50 COVID-19-related deaths reported daily. Elective
admissions are now being postponed in some areas of the country
given rising COVID hospitalizations. "As
hospitalizations and deaths tend to lag behind increased
disease activity by one to several weeks, the concern is that we
have yet to see the extent of severe impacts associated with the
ongoing increase in COVID-19 disease activity. As well, influenza
and respiratory infections typically increase during the Fall and
Winter, placing increased demands on hospitals. This is why it is
so important for people of all ages to maintain public health
practices that keep respiratory infection rates low. "With
colder weather, we are moving indoors. Canadians should
avoid the 3Cs settings -- closed spaces, crowded places and close
contact situations -- wherever possible. Larger clusters tell us
that closed spaces with poor ventilation, crowded places where
many people gather and close contact situations can amplify
spread of the virus. Spread in informal social gatherings and
activities is also occurring. In these more relaxed settings,
such as family and holiday celebrations and recreational
activities, letting our guard down and not consistently
maintaining public health practices, can lead to many exposures
and infections. For these reasons, it is recommended that
everyone wear a non-medical mask or face covering when spending
time indoors with people from outside of your immediate
household. "Canada needs a collective effort to
support and sustain the
public health response through to the end of the pandemic, while
balancing the health, social and economic consequences. To do
this, we need to retake the lead on COVID-19, by each reducing
our close contacts to the best of our ability and employing key
public health practices consistently and with precision: stay
home/self-isolate if you have any symptoms, maintain physical
distancing, wear a face mask as appropriate, and keep up with
frequent hand, cough and surface hygiene. [...]" Regarding
the possibility of a vaccine, Dr. Tam stated on November 6 that she is
"cautiously optimistic that safe and effective
COVID-19 vaccines will be available in the first quarter of 2021,
bringing us one step closer to the widespread and long-term
management of COVID-19. "I would like to emphasize
that when vaccines become
available, there will be a limited supply at first. While that
supply will continue to increase over time, it does mean that
federal, provincial and territorial governments will have to make
important decisions on how to use the initial vaccine supply.
"The National Advisory Committee on Immunization, or NACI, is
a long-standing expert advisory group that provides independent
guidance and recommendations to inform these kinds of tough
decisions. "On Tuesday [November 3], NACI provided
preliminary guidance
on the key populations that should be considered for early
COVID-19 immunizations, including people at high risk of severe
outcomes or those at high risk of spreading to them; workers
essential to maintaining the COVID-19 response and other
essential services for the functioning of society; and people
whose living or working conditions put them at elevated risk of
infection and its disproportionate consequences, including
Indigenous communities. The full guidance is available online at
Canada.ca. "While this preliminary guidance is
helpful for planning,
there is still a long road ahead. Clinical trials need to
continue, Health Canada still needs to approve the vaccines if
they are deemed safe and effective, and we will be receiving
additional advice on prioritization based on the characteristics
of each vaccine once approved. In the meantime, it is crucial
that we continue to layer on individual protections that we know
to be effective in keeping infection rates low: stay home if you
have symptoms, even mild ones; wash your hands frequently;
maintain physical distancing; wear a mask when spending time
indoors with people from outside of your immediate household; and
avoid or limit time spent in closed spaces, crowded places and
close-contact situations where you can't consistently maintain
physical distancing [...]"
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 44 - November 14, 2020
Article Link:
COVID-19
Update: Eight Months into the Pandemic
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
|
