European normalisation

World Health Organization in Europe

Hans Kluge, WHO regional director Europe

Soon enter a cease-fire long period of tranquillity

plausible endgame

plausible hope for stabilization and normalization

This period of higher protection should be seen as a cease-fire that could bring us enduring peace

European, 12 million cases week

Hospitalizations up

ICU, not increased significantly

even with a more virulent variant than omicron potentially on the horizon,

the continent was still in a better position and probably could avoid reinstalling the kind of disruptive measures we needed before

Denmark

No longer a socially critical disease

Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, France, moving to phase out social restrictions

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

the emergency phase of the pandemic could end this year if 70%

of the population of every country is vaccinated and vaccines are more equitably distributed

It is dangerous to assume that omicron will be the last variant, or that we are in the endgame

Russia

Moscow, record high cases, + 168,000

(relatively low testing)

Omicron dominant

(18,000 hospitalized)

Significant pressure already

Elective work often postponed

Low vaccination rates

Putin ruled out a lockdown

Life goes on despite the difficult situation

Viktor Zakharov, Intelligent Logistics Center St. Petersburg University

Peak + 200,000 22nd February

4 million people simultaneously ill

Russia’s state coronavirus task force

Has reported 333,357 deaths

State statistics agency Rosstat

681,100 deaths

Moscow Times

Nearly a million excess deaths by the end of 2021

Cardiologist in Transylvania

I agree with Daniela about the politics and healthcare infrastructure.

No new hospital since the fall of Communism.

People are listening to medical recommendations

The death rate is higher because of lack of competence of doctors in part because the health system is state owned and corrupted.

For example, almost no one is employed without knowing someone in the system or without being in a political party or paying a lot of money (bribes).

But also because people here don't go to the doctor early and they don't prevent disease.

Covid admissions, a sizeable proportion didn't even knew they had high blood pressure or diabetes.

And known cases, disease was not optimally controlled

Sadly I've seen a lot of people die with COVID

If it wasn't for this disease these people would have lived longer.

The political system is indeed highly corrupted and that's why also the police is doing a very poor job.

Also the judicial system is not up to standard.

I would also emigrate in the near future.

As for returning, what's the point when you, as a doctor, cannot find a job in the public healthcare system because you're not politically involved

Steve Cosslett

"Studies in Applied Economics" is a working paper (preprint) series

States with more cases, and so potentially more deaths, will tend to have more restrictive lockdowns.

The paper doesn't address the real question: would there have been even more deaths without the lockdowns?

Barry (US)

I am afraid that I have a rather jaundiced view of economics being described as a science,

you only have to look at how the Fed has handled the economy since 2008! We are about to pay for that economic science!