WHO: Alarming rate of Covid-19 transmission in Europe

(Patria) – The World Health Organization has warned of "alarming rates of transmission" of the Covid-19 virus in Europe, urging European countries not to shorten quarantine periods.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge said that the number of new infections in September should serve as a "wake-up call" for everyone.

"Although the new numbers are also a result of more intensive testing, they also indicate alarming rates of virus transmission in the region," Kluge said at a press conference in Copenhagen.

The WHO also does not intend to change the guidelines related to the two-week quarantine for those exposed to the coronavirus.

"Our recommendation for a 14-day quarantine is based on our current understanding of the incubation and transmission period of the disease. We would only change it if our understanding of the science changes," explains Catherine Smallwood from WHO Europe.

At the same time, in France, the self-isolation period in case of exposure has been reduced to 7 days; in Great Britain and Ireland, this period is 10 days, while some European countries, such as Portugal, are considering further shortening this period.  

Since the beginning of the pandemic, at least 30,042,099 infections have been confirmed worldwide, and at least 945,164 people have died.