The latest figures on the coronavirus pandemic make for positive reading. The virologist Steven Van Gucht writes in the Health Department’s weekly dispatch that all the indicators relating to coronavirus have now fallen to a relatively low level. However, Professor Van Gucht goes on to say that the new BQ.1 and XBB omicron variants now account for half of all confirmed new infections and this could mean that the figures may start to rise again soon.
The latest figures issued by the public health science institute Sciensano show that during the week from 4 to 10 November an average of 55.4 people with COVID-19 were admitted to Belgian hospitals each day. These figures only include those admitted specifically for treatment on the ill-effects of COVID-19.
The number of hospital admissions during the past week is more or less the same as it was during the previous week. There are currently 812 people with COVID-19 in the country’s hospitals. This figure that is down 10% on a week ago includes all patients that have tested positive for coronavirus, also patients that were initially admitted for treatment on other ailments. Of those hospitalised with COVID-19 46 patients are on ICUs, a fall of 23% on a week ago.
The number of positive PCR tests for coronavirus is down too. During the week from 1 to 7 November an average of 701 perople tested positive for coronavirus in Belgium each day. This is down 25% on the previous week. Of those tested 14% tested positive for the virus.
Between 1 and 7 November an average of 4.3 people with COVID-19 died in Belgium each day, a fall of 33% on the average daily death toll during the previous week.
By 8 November 3,707,000 people in Belgium had received an additional autumn booster dose of coronavirus vaccine. This is 40% of the adult population.