“The end of the year will probably have an impact”

Published Saturday, January 1, 2022 at 8:02 p.m.

Although hospitalizations and fatalities continue a downward trend, new infections have recently shown an upward trajectory. Moreover, the Omicron variant‘s dominance in Belgium is now established. According to Geert Molenberghs, holiday gatherings will likely influence the upcoming data.

From December 22nd to 28th, an average of 7,819 new Sars-CoV-2 infections were identified daily—an 11% rise compared to the previous week, as per the most recent figures from the Institute of Health Sciensano. Over 2.1 million coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Belgium since the pandemic’s beginning.

In terms of raw numbers, Flanders reported the greatest number of positive tests over this period (27,721 cases, representing 51% of new infections), followed by Wallonia (16,456, 30%) and Brussels (9,064, 17%).

Biostatistician Geert Molenberghs (UHasselt and KU Leuven) explained to fellow journalists that “The Omicron variant accounts for approximately 85% of infections. That means only one in seven new cases are still attributed to the delta variant, a stark contrast to the six in seven linked to Omicron.”

The specialist predicts a continuation of this growth in the coming weeks. He notes that “Social interactions play a significant role. The year-end festivities will likely have an effect, although the precise impact remains uncertain,” he concluded.

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