Global Covid-19 cases surge 80% with emerging subvariant prominence
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a concerning update, revealing an 80% increase in newly reported Covid-19 cases worldwide over the past month. This announcement comes shortly after the designation of a new "variant of interest."
Global Covid-19 Cases Surge 80%
While the WHO had earlier declared that Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, it continues to caution about the virus's persistent circulation and mutation, leading to occasional spikes in infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities.
During its weekly update, the UN agency disclosed that nations reported nearly 1.5 million new cases between July 10 and August 6, marking an 80% surge compared to the previous 28-day period. However, the number of deaths experienced a 57% decline, totaling 2,500.
The WHO emphasized that the reported figures for cases and deaths may not accurately represent the actual extent, partly due to reduced testing and monitoring activities compared to earlier pandemic stages.
The Western Pacific region witnessed a significant surge in new cases, experiencing a staggering 137% increase, according to the WHO's data.
The summer season has been linked to an increase in instances in several Northern Hemisphere nations, including the US, UK, France, and Japan. According to experts, this trend may be influenced by things like summer get-togethers, travel, waning immunity, and the appearance of new subvariants.
Notably, the WHO recently labeled the Omicron subvariant EG.5 as a "variant of interest." This subvariant has exhibited higher transmissibility due to a spike protein mutation, potentially impacting immunity. However, it currently poses a "low" risk to global public health, although the organization's chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, underscored the ongoing risk of a more perilous variant emerging.
The importance of ongoing surveillance, vaccination campaigns, and research into new vaccines that target particular subvariants becomes increasingly clear as the globe struggles to cope with Covid's changing landscape. Although the virus's impact has been reduced by immunity from vaccine or earlier infection, the persistent threat, including the possibility for extended Covid, highlights the need for continuing awareness and preventative health measures.
