Retrospective Overview of COVID-19 in Europe

A disease of unknown origin connected with severe pneumonia was identified in Wuhan (China) in December 2019. It was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The disease had rapidly spread all over the world, including Europe. The World Health organization (WHO) declared the disease a pandemic. The aim of this study is to summarize and to compare objectively the epidemiological situation of COVID-19 in European countries from 15 February 2020 to 31 December 2021. Due to the significant difference in the population of individual states, all data were calculated per 1 million people (parameter/1M). Cases/1M, number of death/1 M, and % of death (case fatality rate) were compared. The actual situation on 31 December 2021 was quantified by comparing the active cases/1 M in each European country. The situation in Europe has been compared also with those on the other continents of the world, respectively on 31 December 2021. In order to monitor the development of the disease spread on the national level, the European countries were compared after division into six regions: South, West, North, Middle, Balkan and East. These data were recorded daily from 15 February to 31 December 2021.