The Coronavirus Dashboard of the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that as of 5:54 pm of July 27, central European standard time (CEST), there were 194.6 million COVID-19 confirmed cases and 4.17 million deaths. The greatest number of confirmed cases were in the Americas at 76.18 million, followed by Europe at 59.31 million, Southeast Asia at 37.76 million, the Eastern Mediterranean at 12.26 million, and the Western Pacific at 4.29 million.
The Delta Variant
In addition, as of July 27, Statista data shows that the COVID-19 Delta variant has spread across the world. The highest number of cases in a country was 167,856 in the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, the next highest number of cases was 24,635 cases in the United States, 15,474 cases in India, and 10, 510 cases in Denmark. There were four-digit cases below 5,000 in 17 countries, three-digit cases below above 100 in 23 countries, two-digit cases above 10 in 33 countries, and one-digit cases in 34 countries.
Among the unvaccinated people in Europe, COVID-19 Delta is rapidly increasing among young people, from teens to those in their 20s. In Barcelona, Spain, the rate of infection was 2,000 for every 100,000 people among those aged 20 to 29 in the last two weeks up to July 8, according to Fortune. In the northern area of Spain, the rate of infection was 1,000 for every 100,000 people in three regions. In addition, The Guardian reports that the UK Office for National Statistics data shows that there are six times more cases in people aged 16 to 24 years old compared with those who are 50 to 69 years old.
Vaccination and Breakthrough Infections
As of July 28, Our World in Data reports that 14.1 percent of the global population was fully vaccinated, while 27.6 percent was partially vaccinated. Only 1.1 percent of the population in low-income countries was partially vaccinated, though.
These frightening statistics surrounding COVID-19 highlight that everyone is vulnerable. While they comprise a small minority, 150 of the 18,000 COVID-19 deaths in the United States in May 2021 were fully vaccinated people. In England, as of July 19, people who were fully vaccinated comprised 12.5 percent of 229,218 cases of the COVID-19 Delta variant. Public Health England states that complete doses of mRNA vaccines are only 79 percent effective against having symptomatic COVID-19 Delta, whereas these were 89 percent effective against COVID-19 Alpha. In short, full vaccination is much better than none, but it is not a 100 percent guarantee against getting infected by the virus and even dying from it.
Prepare for Everything
It is a reminder to everyone, young and old, to prepare for the possibility of getting infected and developing serious illness to the point of not being able to express one’s wishes. This early on, it is best to draw up a personal directive to document your wishes clearly and legally with regard to medical treatment and related decisions.
To guarantee that you are making the correct decisions and preparations, hire lawyers who are experts in this field, such as CHL Law Barristers & Solicitors. They will know the applicable laws and related requirements depending on the area you live in and can guide you through the details of the document. You can also consult a medical professional to ensure that you cover all possibilities in your instructions.
In a personal directive, you appoint a representative who will be legally authorized to ensure that your written wishes are complied with in the event that you are not able to express yourself for any medical reason. You can also appoint a backup representative in case the first will not be available, such as if your primary representative is taken ill alongside you. If a need for a decision arises that is not covered in your personal directive, your representative must choose to do what she or he sincerely believes you would want. This is why it is crucial to choose someone who knows you very well, cares deeply for you, and respects your wishes.
Your instructions should include end-of-life decisions. For instance, you must state if you want to be resuscitated or not, if you want your life prolonged mechanically when brain-dead or not, if you want to be fed through a tube or not, and if you want palliative measures and pain relief instead for a comfortable passing. It should also include instructions not related to end-of-life, such as whether you want to be cared for in your own home or a hospice, the kind of help you will need, and the type of food you prefer, among others.
It is not morbid or unlucky to prepare for all these things far in advance. Having a personal directive will give you peace of mind knowing that your own decisions will prevail up to the end.