The number of new coronavirus cases is particularly high in most European countries, which are again in "deep red" on the ECDC maps.
The particularly increased number of coronavirus cases recorded in most European countries, including Greece, is also reflected in the new ECDC maps.
Most of the continent is in "deep red" on the 14-day index, indicating that the lifting of restrictions in most countries and the increased mobility seen in the summer months are significantly increasing the transmissibility of the virus.
Countries such as Denmark and Latvia "escaped" and are in the "red", which proves that they are in better shape.
Corona virus: Global alert for the new "Centaur" mutation
The scientific community has been alarmed by the appearance of the new Omicron BA.2.75 sub-variant, which has received the name "Kentauros" or "Centaurus".
The new mutation first appeared in India in mid-May and has already reached the UK, while cases have been identified in 8 more countries, including the US, Australia, Germany and Canada.
For its part, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) classified "Centaur" as a "variant under surveillance" on July 7, meaning there is some evidence that it could be more contagious or linked to a more serious disease, but the evidence has not yet been evaluated. And the World Health Organization is closely monitoring the new variant, but it is noted that there are not yet enough samples to assess its seriousness.
The concern of experts, however, is growing, as the Guardian reports, due to the huge number of additional mutations they detect from BA.2.75, in relation to BA.2, from which it is likely to have evolved.
"It is difficult to predict the effect of so many mutations occurring together. It gives the virus a wild card status," says Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, who was the first to identify the Omicron mutation in November 2021.
Corona virus - Bell from ECDC: "The pandemic is not over - No complacency"
"There is no doubt that the pandemic is not over and there is no time for complacency," the director of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Andrea Amon, said yesterday, Tuesday, speaking to the European Parliament's special committee on the coronavirus .
He noted that there are still people at risk of serious illness who "we need to protect as soon as possible."
"Still the goal of all vaccination efforts is to prevent severe disease and death and what we have seen so far is that current vaccines are still effective against severe disease," Ms Amon said.
In addition, he said the past three weeks had seen an increase in case rates and hospitalizations and reiterated the ECDC and European Medicines Agency's (EMA) recommendation for a second booster dose for those over 60 or more vulnerable.
"We have seen that many countries will prepare for vaccination campaigns a little later, in September or later, so it will take some efforts to get an immediate campaign now because by September we think most countries will be at or above the peak so the impact for the booster dose will be smaller" added the director of ECDC.
"We still don't know what the epidemiological situation will be in the fall, what variant will be circulating," he pointed out, adding that it is important that countries also prepare a systematic and robust surveillance system not only for the coronavirus, but also for other diseases respiratory, first of all for the flu.
