--- title: "WHO Says Europe Is Headed Into Another Potential Pandemic Crisis" description: "\"Pandemic fatigue\" is causing numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to surge in parts of Europe, particularly in France and Spain." date: "2020-09-18" modified: "2020-09-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/who-europe-potential-pandemic-crisis" categories: - "Developments" - "Health & Medicine" --- # WHO Says Europe Is Headed Into Another Potential Pandemic Crisis !["Pandemic fatigue" is causing numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to surge in parts of Europe, particularly in France and Spain.]() *\Image: MaxPixel/Victor Tangermann\* Experts say that "pandemic fatigue" is causing numbers of confirmed cases of COVID-19 to surge in parts of Europe, [*CNBC* reports](). Numbers are rising in both France and Spain. In some instances, the number of new cases is outpacing peak numbers back in April. Both countries even surpassed the per capita-adjusted numbers in the US. Officials suspect France's return to tourism — particularly allowing foreign tourists to come visit — is at least partially to blame, as well as Spain's rush to reopen its doors. "We have a very serious situation unfolding before us," the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe Hans Kluge said on Thursday, the [*BBC* reports](), adding that the alarming numbers "should serve as a wake-up call for all of us." "There are some worrying trends that we’re starting to see," Maria Van Kerkhove, head of the WHO's emerging diseases unit, said Wednesday, as quoted by *CNBC*. "What is really worrying I think for us is that we’re not only seeing an increase in the case numbers, but we’re seeing an increase in the hospitalizations," she added. "We’re seeing increases in ICUs." Several US states are also seeing a surge, according to recent reports. Officials have warned that this [autumn could look especially bad](), considering the fast-approaching flu season. "We haven’t even started to hit the flu season yet so we’re worried that these increasing numbers of hospitalization and ICU are really going to overburden an already burdened system," Van Kerhove [told *CNN*](). The fight is far from over. The globe is rapidly [approaching one million lives lost]() as a result of the coronavirus. But there is increased hope that the first vaccines will be made available [as soon as early 2021]() — which many experts say is the [only way out](). ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()