Weekly total of new COVID-19 cases 52,000 in Finland, need for intensive care declining

27 Jan 2022

The estimated weekly total of COVID-19 cases was 52,000 in Finland between 17 and 23 January, compared to 57,000 in the previous week. Despite a fall in the number of COVID-19 patients in intensive care, the burden on other specialised healthcare has remained unchanged at the national level. It is particularly important that people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups get a third vaccine dose.

In the last two calendar weeks (between 10 and 23 January), the incidence of new cases was 1,963 per 100,000 inhabitants, compared to 1,834 in the preceding two-week period.

On 26 January, there were 350 inpatients in specialised healthcare, while on 19 January, the number was 363. On 26 January, the total number of patients in intensive care was 48, compared to 64 in the week before. Only 33 new patients were admitted to intensive care between 17 and 23 January, which is clearly less than in the preceding two weeks when the total of new admissions was 60 and 61, respectively. The number of inpatients in specialised healthcare has remained at the same high level: 302 patients on 26 January, compared to 299 the week before. An estimated 24 per cent of all COVID-19 inpatients in specialised healthcare were admitted for some other reason than COVID-19. The percentage was 17 for intensive care.

On 26 January 2022, the total number of COVID-19-related deaths reported to the communicable diseases register was 1,894. In the last 14 days (13–26 January), a total of 206 deaths were reported. People over 70 years of age accounted for 86 per cent of the deaths.

Although there are still many cases being reported among vaccinated people, vaccine effectiveness is high in preventing severe disease. Between September and December, unvaccinated people with COVID-19 were 14 times more likely to be admitted to specialised healthcare and 27 times more likely to be admitted to intensive care than those who had been vaccinated twice. It is recommended that particularly people aged 60 or over and those belonging to risk groups take a third dose.

By 26 January, 86.7 per cent of people in Finland who are 18 years of age or over had received at least one vaccine dose, 84.1 per cent at least two vaccine doses and 51.4 per cent three vaccine doses. Over the past week (20–26 January), the uptake of the third vaccine dose rose by 6.7 percentage points. The increase in the uptake has slowed down slightly: in the previous week, the uptake of the third dose rose by 9.2 percentage points.

Approximately a third of all the more than 164,000 samples taken between 17 and 23 January tested positive, showing no great change on the previous week. No effective reproduction number is reported this week, as changes in the incidence of COVID-19 are difficult to discern at the moment due to changes in recording practices and delays in data transfers concerning hospital care.

The whole of Finland continues to match the characteristics of a community transmission area.

The epidemiological situation is monitored weekly. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare publishes the key monitoring information on the COVID-19 epidemic on its reporting website.

Inquiries:

Liisa-Maria Voipio-Pulkki
Chief Specialist
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
[email protected]

Pasi Pohjola
Director of Strategic Affairs
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
[email protected]

Otto Helve
Chief Physician
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
[email protected]

Mia Kontio
Chief Specialist
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare
[email protected]

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