Rapidly increasing cumulative incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the European Union/European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, 1 January to 15 March 2020

Euro Surveill. 2020 Mar;25(11):2000285. doi: 10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.11.2000285. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

Abstract

The cumulative incidence of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases is showing similar trends in European Union/European Economic Area countries and the United Kingdom confirming that, while at a different stage depending on the country, the COVID-19 pandemic is progressing rapidly in all countries. Based on the experience from Italy, countries, hospitals and intensive care units should increase their preparedness for a surge of patients with COVID-19 who will require healthcare, and in particular intensive care.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, coronavirus disease; coronavirus, EU/EEA, United Kingdom, Europe.

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus
  • COVID-19
  • Civil Defense
  • Coronavirus / isolation & purification*
  • Coronavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology
  • Coronavirus Infections / transmission
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Disease Notification / statistics & numerical data*
  • Disease Outbreaks*
  • Europe / epidemiology
  • European Union
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Intensive Care Units / organization & administration*
  • Pandemics*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / diagnosis
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / transmission
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • Population Surveillance
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / virology
  • Triage
  • United Kingdom / epidemiology