COVID-19 cases rise by 52% globally in past 28 days: WHO

Islamabad: The number of new cases of COVID-19 increased by 52% in the last 28 days, from November 20 to December 17, 2023, compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 850,000 new cases reported, the The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Sunday.

Although the number of new deaths fell by 8% compared to the previous 28-day period, with over 3,000 new deaths reported, by 17 December 2023, over 772 million confirmed cases and nearly seven million deaths have been reported worldwide.

WHO today issued a new COVID-19 epidemiological update on the global and regional situation, with information on hospitalizations and ICU admissions, as well as updates on variants of interest and variants under surveillance.

Between November 13 and December 10, over 118,000 new COVID-19 hospitalizations and more than 1,600 new intensive care unit (ICU) admissions were recorded, an overall increase of 23% and 51% respectively, among countries consistently reporting within the current and previous reporting period, WHO said.

As of December 18, JN.1 — a subclade of the BA.2.86 Omicron variant — has been designated as a separate variant of interest (VOI) apart from its parent BA.2.86 lineage due to its rapid increase in prevalence in recent weeks. Globally, EG.5 remains the most cited “variant of interest”.

Earlier, the WHO had said that due to its rapidly increasing spread, the agency is classifying the JN.1 variant as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the BA.2.86 parent lineage. Previously classified as a VOI as part of the BA.2.86 sublines.

Based on available evidence, the additional global risk to public health posed by JN.1 is currently assessed as low. Nevertheless, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.

WHO is continuously monitoring the evidence and will update the JN.1 risk assessment as needed.

Current vaccines continue to protect against severe illness and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

COVID-19 is not the only respiratory disease circulating. Influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and common childhood pneumonia are on the rise.

WHO advises people to take measures to prevent infections and serious illnesses by using all available tools including the following:

• Wear a mask when in crowded, closed or poorly ventilated areas and keep a safe distance from others as possible.
• Follow respiratory etiquette — covering coughs and sneezes.
• Clean your hands regularly.
• Stay up to date with your COVID-19 and flu shots, especially if you are at high risk for severe disease.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Get tested if you have symptoms or if you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or the flu.