WHO: Record weekly jump in COVID-19 cases but fewer deaths

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Thursday a grounds 9.5 cardinal cases of COVID-19 were tallied astir the satellite implicit the past week, noting a 71% surge successful the play number of infections amounting to a “tsunami” arsenic the caller omicron variant sweeps worldwide.

However, the fig of recorded deaths fell, with 41,178 recorded past week compared to 44 680 successful the week earlier that.

“Last week, the highest fig of COVID-19 cases were reported truthful acold successful the pandemic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. He said the WHO was definite that was an underestimate due to the fact that of a backlog successful investigating astir the year-end holidays.

The U.N. wellness agency, successful its play study connected the pandemic, said the play number amounted to 9,520,488 caller cases.

While omicron appears to beryllium little terrible than the delta variant, particularly among radical who person been vaccinated, the WHO main said: “It does not mean it should beryllium categorized arsenic mild. Just similar erstwhile variants, omicron is hospitalizing people, and it’s sidesplitting people.”

“In fact, the tsunami of cases is truthful immense and speedy that it is overwhelming wellness systems astir the world,” the WHO main told a regular quality briefing.

The WHO said the rises successful lawsuit counts implicit the past week varied, doubling successful the Americas region, but rising lone 7% successful Africa.

The WHO emergencies chief, Dr. Michael Ryan, said speculation that omicron mightiness beryllium the past variant of the outbreak was “wishful thinking” and cautioned: “There inactive is simply a batch of vigor successful this virus.”

Added Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO’s method pb connected COVID-19: “I deliberation it’s precise improbable that omicron volition beryllium the past variant that you volition perceive america discussing.”

WHO officials called connected the nationalist to measurement up measures to combat the pandemic similar getting vaccinated, ventilating rooms, maintaining due carnal distancing and wearing masks — but properly.

“I’m struck by however radical really are wearing masks” Van Kerkhove said.

“Wearing a disguise beneath your chin is useless. And it gives you a mendacious consciousness of information that you person thing connected that is protecting you. It volition not ... Basically, we are asking everyone to play a portion successful this.”

Separately, Ryan said the WHO’s enactment with the International Olympic Committee and China — which is acceptable to big the 2022 Winter Games — led him to beryllium “confident” that the measures that games organizers person enactment successful spot were “very strict and precise strong.”

“We don’t astatine this constituent spot immoderate accrued hazard of illness transmission successful that context,” Ryan said.