The upward trend, which manifests itself despite the warm weather, is unique in Europe. In the Netherlands, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, for example, the graphs show diminishing lines.

The number of infections is also declining in Spain, Portugal’s only neighbor. Portugal recorded 2,888 new infections per million inhabitants in the week until yesterday. In Spain it was 373.

More weeks of large numbers

according to The British Guardian newspaper A researcher from the University of Lisbon expected pollution rates to rise at least until the end of this month.

The BA.5 variant was first identified in the Netherlands on April 22, but has not yet led to a significant increase in the number of infections or deaths here. BA.2 is still dominant here, but the RIVM Institute of Health takes into account that BA.5 can become dominant.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are no indications that BA.5 is more pathogenic than BA.2.

In Germany, the number of infections with BA.5 has doubled in recent weeks, but this alternative remains under its dominant brother BA.2: it still accounts for 96 percent of all positive cases.

The next wave in the fall

However, according to German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach, there is certainly reason to be vigilant: BA.5 could, he said, “make the next wave in the fall.”

All of Europe expects a corona recovery in the fall, when temperatures will drop again. In Germany, the leaders of the sixteen federal states have already met to discuss possible measures. This includes closing schools and nursing homes.