Norway puts an end to the pandemic, but specifies that it has in the world for “several years”

Norway could be the first country in the world to end the epidemic. The Scandinavian country, which was one of the least impactful of coronavirus in the three waves that most European countries have passed through.

The country played with an advantage for the low population density and the relative isolation in which half the country lives and that it did well to apply severe public health measures as soon as infections rebounded.

Preben Aavitsland, chief medical officer of the infection control division of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health wrote a Twitter message on Sunday accompanied by a graph showing that Norwegian hospitals have treated the fewest patients since last summer in recent weeks . The message read: “And with that, the pandemic ends.”

The European Agency for Disease Control and Prevention assures, with data updated on Saturday, that Norway has so far counted 785 deaths due to covid.

Comparing these data with European countries with similar populations (Norway has almost 5.5 million inhabitants), it would be a number of deaths due to the coronavirus lower than that of Denmark (2,518), similar to that of Finland (959), much lower than that of Slovakia (12,404) or that of Ireland (4,941). These four countries have between 5.8 and 4.9 million inhabitants.

Little room for the coronavirus

Aavitsland, who is one of the main people in charge of managing the coronavirus in Norway, told VG newspaper: “Here in Norway we can say that the pandemic is over. We can begin to prepare for a life in which the coronavirus will take up very little space in our lives. “

Norway passed the three waves of infections much better than most of Europe and its Scandinavian neighbors. In large part, its experts estimate, by the physical isolation in which much of the country lives outside of the few major cities.

The expert from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health considers that despite the low number of infections in recent days and the rapid vaccination process Small, isolated outbreaks could occur in the future, but the healthcare system is ready to bring them under control before they generate another wave of infections.

Aavitsland compared to a fire: “The fire in the forest is over and people and houses are no longer in danger, but embers remain it can light up a bit here and there so you have to remain vigilant ”.

This expert believes that for the pandemic to be considered to be under control at the global level “it will take several years because it does not stop until it is not over for everyone ”.

Other experts consulted by the Norwegian media believe that the country cannot lower its guard and go back to the previous life the coronavirus precisely because as long as the virus circulates, in its various variants, in other countries it can still reach Norway.

Brussels, special

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