WHO alerts COVID-19 infections are rising fast globally
The UN health agency WHO confirmed on Friday that coronavirus numbers are spiking globally and that we “should expect more cases” in the coming winter months in the northern hemisphere.
The latest data from the World Health Organization covering the four weeks to 17 December indicated a 52 per cent increase in infections compared with the previous 28-days.
That amounts to 850,000 new COVID-19 cases reported, but the true figure is likely much higher, according to WHO spokesperson Christian Lindmeier:
“You know that all throughout the world and you've seen it in many of your own countries, the reporting has dropped, the surveillance centers have dropped, the vaccination centers have dropped, have been dismantled as well or shut down,” he told reporters in Geneva.
“This, of course, leads to an incomplete picture and we should expect unfortunately more cases than we have officially reported.”
Most infections have been caused by a new COVID strain called JN.1 which is now under close scrutiny by the UN health agency as a “variant of interest”.
JN.1 was reportedly first detected in the United States before spreading across dozens of countries.
It evolved from the Omicron variant which was linked to a peak in COVID infections in 2022.
IBNS
Senior Staff Reporter at Northeast Herald, covering news from Tripura and Northeast India.
Related Articles
UN issues dire warning: Asia faces rising cyclones and flooding like never before
Across southeast Asia, record-breaking rains and flooding caused by back-to-back tropical storms have claimed hundreds of lives and brought devastation and displacement upon entire communities, UN agencies said on Tuesday.
Hidden mental health cost of birth control pills? Study finds shocking link
A new study has suggested that the use of contraceptive pills may have a hidden cost: impaired mental health.
Stunning drop! India reports 49% fall in annual new HIV cases
The Indian government has announced that the country recorded a nearly 49 per cent decline in annual new HIV infections between 2010 and 2024.
WHO describes obesity as a 'chronic disease', backs wider use of weight-loss medicines
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first guideline on the use of a new class of weight-loss medicines, marking a significant shift in global health policy as obesity rates continue to rise.
Latest News
Mosque in the middle of Kolkata airport? Centre confirms flight risks, BJP fires at Mamata
Prime Minister Mark Carney to attend FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw in Washington
Germany arrests two Iraqi nationals over suspected Islamic State links
Spanish tourist stabbed at Berlin Holocaust Memorial testifies in terror trial
