The second wave of coronavirus: Why is the number of infected people increasing, but not the number of deaths?

Europe is drowning in the second wave of the virus epidemic, writes CNN.

The rate of infection is increasing across the continent. Governments are imposing severe blockades. Economies are closing again, but there is a glimmer of hope: The virus, though still deadly, seems to be killing fewer people on average.

Recent case and fatality figures from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) show that while Covid-19 registered cases are growing rapidly in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and other European countries, deaths are not growing at the same rate.

The fatality rate has dropped and although infection rates are rising, they are far from the first wave figures. This is unlikely to change dramatically unless there is a surprising increase in deaths.

"We think that maybe this is driven by age, but also other factors, such as the fact that treatment techniques in hospitals have improved," said Jason Oke, statistician.

However, the clearest reason for the low number of deaths is age.

The first wave of the pandemic particularly hit the elderly in Europe, spreading to hospitals and nursing homes, but that has changed over the summer, with the virus circulating more widely among young people going to restaurants, bars and other public places.

The average age of those infected across Europe fell from 54 during the period from January to May, to 39 in June and July, according to the ECDC.

Older people face a much higher risk if they become infected, so an outbreak affecting a nursing home is likely to be far more deadly than one on a college campus.

Source: CNN