WHO: Record weekly COVID cases last week but deaths stable

GENEVA (AP) —

The World Well being Group mentioned there have been 21 million new coronavirus circumstances reported globally final week, the best weekly variety of COVID-19 circumstances recorded for the reason that pandemic started. The variety of deaths was largely unchanged, at greater than 50,000.

In its weekly evaluation of the pandemic, issued late Tuesday, the U.N. well being company mentioned the variety of new coronavirus infections rose by 5% and that the speed of improve seems to be slowing; solely half of areas reported a rise in COVID-19. Earlier this month, the earlier highest variety of circumstances — 9.5 million — was recorded amid a 71% spike from the week earlier than, because the vastly contagious omicron variant swept the world.

WHO mentioned the most important improve in circumstances was seen within the Center East, with a 39% rise, adopted by a 36% leap in Southeast Asia. Deaths elevated in Southeast Asia, the Center East and the Americas, however fell in different areas.

On Monday, WHO’s director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus cautioned towards speak that the pandemic could be coming into its “endgame,” warning that situations stay ripe for brand spanking new variants to emerge, with huge swathes of unvaccinated folks in some nations amid speedy virus transmission. Nonetheless, Tedros mentioned it could be doable for the world to exit the acute section of the pandemic, if targets like immunizing a minimum of 70% of every nation’s inhabitants are met later this yr.

In Britain, researchers at Imperial Faculty London recorded the highest-ever prevalence fee of COVID-19 in England earlier this month, estimating that about one in each 23 folks examined had the virus.

The scientists mentioned there have been indications the large spike attributable to omicron had began to stage off however that an infection charges remained excessive. Scientists have mentioned that omicron is much much less more likely to trigger severe illness and hospitalization however spreads a lot sooner than earlier COVID-19 variants, together with delta.

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