Western nations face a big challenge in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic: Ten months into the health crisis, they still know little about where people are catching the virus.
\nThe problem is becoming more acute as new cases are breaking records in the U.S. and Europe and pressure grows on authorities to impose targeted restrictions on places that are spreading the virus, rather than broad confinement measures that are wreaking havoc on the economy.<\/p>\n
In Germany, authorities say they don\u2019t know where 75% of people who currently test positive for the coronavirus got it. In Austria, the figure stands at 77%. In Spain, the health ministry said that it was able to identify the origin of only 7% of infections registered in the last week of October. In France and Italy, only some 20% of new cases have been linked to people who previously tested positive.<\/p>\n
Jay Varma, senior adviser for public health in the New York City mayor\u2019s office, said 10% of the city\u2019s infections are due to travel, 5% from gatherings, and another 5% from institutional settings such as nursing homes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe vast majority of the remainder\u2014somewhere probably around 50% or more\u2014we don\u2019t have a way to directly attribute their source of infection,\u201d Mr. Varma said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s a concern.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read it all<\/a>.<\/p>\n Western nations face a big challenge in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic: Ten months into the health crisis, they still know little about where people are catching the virus https:\/\/t.co\/FBQyXUnYjd<\/a><\/p>\n — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) November 16, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \n