The latest report, the ICOVID Chile team, initiative led by the University of Chile, the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the University of Concepción, warned that epidemic continues to grow and holiday-associated transmission levels "exceed predictions".

According to this new report, at the national level the weekly average of new catches per day reached 5.075 cases, Representing 6% increase compared to the previous week. At the regional level, experts observed significant increases in new daily cases in Tarapacá (41%), Arica and Parinacota (25%), Metropolitan (17,2%), Antofagasta (14,5%) and Valparaiso (14%).

Faced with this situation, Mauricio Lima, U's researcher and academic. Catholic Church of Chile, noted that "epidemic is still growing since the second half of February, Generating, from March, increased hospital burden. While the vaccination process has been very positive and should begin to generate protection in risk groups, you still don't see the effects on hospitalization rates. Therefore, care needs to be maintained in terms of reducing daily contacts to continue to contain the epidemic and buy time for the effects of vaccination to begin to become apparent”.

The report notes that the R transmission rate, at the national level, stays greater than 1 (1,10) indicating that "every person who gets the virus infects, on average, more than one person, which means that epidemic is in a state of expansion”.

Indeed,, as it points out Catterina Ferreccio, UC epidemiologist and academic, "while it was foreseeable that the increase in national and international mobility associated with Holiday would bring with it an increase in transmission of the virus, transmission levels exceed predictions. This reflects that the population has also declined physical isolation measures".

The expert states that "it is necessary to strengthen risk communication, clarifying that we are still far from herd protection and with an imminent saturation of hospital capacity at the national level. The regions hardest hit by the hospital burden of serious illnesses are Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Maule and La Araucanía".

Indeed,, the new report shows that "there is a very high occupancy of UCI beds, which has continued to increase slowly but consistently". Nationally, the occupancy is 94,8%. Locally, there are 11 regions with occupancy greater than 90%: Coquimbo (100%), Biobío (98,5%), Los Ríos (97,2%), Tarapacá (96,7%), The Araucanía (96,6%), Valparaiso (96%), Antofagasta (95,8%), Metropolitan (95,1%), Maule(95%), O'higgins (92,1%) and The Lakes (91,7%).

Learn more about data and the full report at: http:www.icovidchile.cl/

Photography: File | Concepción Diary

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