Experts: Surge in Europe a cautionary tale for U. S.

Optimism is spreading in the U. S. as COVID- 19 deaths plummet and states ease restrictions and open vaccinations to younger adults. But across Europe, dread is setting in with another wave of infections that is closing schools and cafes and bringing new

Why it’s happening

The pandemic’s diverging paths on the two continents can be linked in part to the much more successful vaccine rollout in the U. S. and the spread of more contagious variants in Europe.

Health experts in the U. S., though, say what’s happening in Europe should serve as a warning against ignoring social distancing or dropping other safeguards too early.

“Each of these countries has had nadirs like we are having now, and each took an upward trend after they disregarded known mitigation strategies,” said Dr. Rochelle Walensky, director of the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “They simply took their eye off the ball.”

How it’s happening

The result has been a sharp spike in new infections and hospitalizations in several European countries during the past few weeks.

Poland’s rate of new COVID19 cases has more than doubled since February, straining its health care system and leading to a three- week nationwide lockdown announced Wednesday for shopping malls, theaters, galleries and sports centers.

Italy closed most of its classrooms at the beginning of this week and expanded areas where restaurants and cafes can do only takeout or delivery. The country’s health experts say they’re seeing an increasing number of patients who are middle- aged and younger.

In France, officials imposed weekend lockdowns around the French Riviera in the south and the English Channel in the north, and are preparing new restrictions for the Paris region and perhaps beyond to be announced today.

COVID- 19 patients occupy 100% of standard intensive care hospital beds in the area surrounding the nation’s capital.

“If we don’t do anything, we’re heading toward catastrophe,” Remi Salomon, a top official in the Paris public hospital authority, told BFM television.

Serbia announced a nationwide lockdown for the rest of the week, closing all nonessential shops and businesses. The country of 7 million people reported more than 5,000 new cases Tuesday, its highest number in months.

Optimism in the U. S.

The trends are far more encouraging in the U. S., which has recorded about 537,000 deaths overall, more than any other country.

Deaths per day in the U. S. have plunged to an average of just less than 1,300, down from a high of about 3,400 two months ago. New cases are running at about 55,000 per day on average after peaking at more than a quarter- million per day in early January.

An empty hallway and a row of unused face shields inside the closed COVID- 19 ICU unit at Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo, California, tell the story of the improved outlook in the U. S.

The wing was teeming with the patients at the beginning of the year.

“It gives me goosebumps. It’s really just surreal because, you know, a month and a half ago, our unit was full of super, super sick COVID patients, many of which didn’t survive,” said ICU nurse Christina Anderson.

The European Union’s overall vaccination efforts lag far behind those of Britain and the U. S. because of shortages and other hurdles.