WHO counts 18 million virus cases last week as omicron slows

GENEVA – The variety of new coronavirus instances globally rose by 20% final week to greater than 18 million, marking a slowdown within the surge brought on by the omicron variant’s unfold, in line with the World Well being Group.

In its weekly report on the pandemic, the U.N. well being company mentioned the variety of new COVID-19 infections elevated in each world area aside from Africa, the place instances fell by almost a 3rd. The variety of deaths globally remained just like the earlier week, at about 45,000.

Confirmed COVID-19 instances jumped by about 50% the week earlier than final, and earlier this month, WHO reported the most important single-week enhance in instances of the pandemic.

WHO mentioned in its report issued late Tuesday that Southeast Asia had the most important rise in coronavirus instances final week, with the variety of newly contaminated folks spiking by 145%. The Center East noticed a 68% weekly rise.

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The smallest will increase have been famous within the Americas and Europe, at 17% and 10% respectively. Scientists mentioned final week there have been early indicators within the U.S. and Britain that omicron-driven outbreaks could have peaked in these international locations and that instances may quickly fall off sharply.

WHO Director-Common Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus mentioned Tuesday that that the extremely infectious variant “continues to comb the world.” He mentioned it was ”deceptive” to think about it as inflicting gentle illness, though research have proven omicron is much less more likely to end in extreme sickness or hospitalization than its predecessors.

“We’re involved concerning the impression omicron is having on already exhausted well being staff and overburdened well being techniques,” Tedros mentioned.

He acknowledged that some areas look like out of the worst of the most recent omicron wave however warned that “not all international locations are out of the woods but.”