Why is Europe once again the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic?

As the European region enters its second winter season in the pandemic, governments are once again faced with a difficult choice - how to keep the infection under control, save the lives of citizens and protect health systems, while avoiding strict restrictive measures that affect economies and people's mental health, Radio Free Europe reports.

The World Health Organization reported that in early November, the coronavirus death rate increased by 10 percent in Europe, which is the only region in the world, apart from Central Asia, where COVID-19 cases and mortality are increasing. Why?

Almost two-thirds of global infections come from the European region. The number of deaths from COVID-19 has fallen by about four percent worldwide, while it is only increasing in Europe and Central Asia.

Europe has seen a 50 percent increase in infections since October, despite the high availability of COVID-19 vaccines.

Infections have increased sharply since the outbreak began in November – with 1.8 million cases and 24,000 deaths in the European region – accounting for 59 percent of total infections worldwide and 48 percent of total deaths. Because of these figures and statistical projections, the WHO has declared Europe the “epicenter” of the pandemic.

Vaccination rates have fallen in recent months in Europe, but they also vary widely from country to country. For example, in Spain, almost 80 percent of the population had been vaccinated, in Germany 66 percent, and in Russia just 32 percent by October.

On average, only 47 percent of people are fully vaccinated. Eight countries have exceeded 70 percent vaccination coverage, while in two countries the rate is below 10 percent.

Where vaccination coverage is low, hospitalizations are high, as is the case in the Baltic states, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Balkan region.

While more than 90 percent of the adult population is fully vaccinated in Ireland, Malta and Portugal.

Due to the high number of hospitalizations and admissions of patients to intensive care units, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been marked as “very high concern” by the European Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, a European Union agency based in Stockholm.

Vaccines are the most powerful tool in the fight against a pandemic if they are used in combination with other measures, which include wearing protective masks, testing, contact monitoring, maintaining physical distance, and ventilation of closed rooms.