By NewsDesk  @infectiousdiseasenews

Finland health officials report a total of 1,651 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Finland between 5 and 11 July. The number of cases has been increasing for the past three weeks. About 540 new cases were reported in the middle of June (14–20 June), after which the number of cases has approximately tripled.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

The COVID-19 epidemic is now spreading among socially active young adults, for example at bars, restaurants and social events. As in the previous weeks, the highest number of infections was reported among 20–29-year-olds, who accounted for one third of all infections between 5 and 11 July. People aged 10–19 accounted for 25 per cent of all new cases, with most of these cases reported among people who had reached the age of 18.

Currently, the estimated effective basic reproduction number is 1.0–1.25, with a 90 per cent probability. The rise in the number of infections among young adults between 5 and 11 July has led to an increase in the estimated basic reproduction number.

The percentage of cases where the virus was contracted abroad has halved compared to the previous week. In Finland, 12 per cent of the cases reported between 5 and 11 July originated from abroad, and the further infections resulting from them accounted for 3 per cent of all cases.

About 94,200 COVID-19 tests were taken between 5 and 11 July. The percentage of positive COVID-19 cases of all samples taken was 1.8 per cent between 5 and 11 July. This figure has tripled since mid-June when it was 0.6 per cent.

In Finland, the infections caused by the Delta variant account for over 80 per cent of the positive test results that are analysed further. The COVID-19 variant is determined in about one in five positive samples. The fact that in recent weeks Euro 2020 football fans returning from Russia have accounted for a large percentage of genotyped samples may lead us to overestimate the percentage of cases caused by the Delta variant to some extent. The Delta variant was identified in about 90 per cent of the samples taken from people who had tested positive for COVID-19 at the eastern border or who had had contacts with someone based in or recently coming from Russia.

The number of patients in hospital care has remained stable despite the growing number of new cases.