WHO: COVID-19 cases increased by 11% last week globally with high Omicron risk

The worldwide COVID-19 cases increased by 11% last week, as the United Nations Health Organization, World Health Organisation (WHO) suggest. As per AP reports, it stated that WHO also stated that the number of COVID-19 cases documented worldwide climbed by 11% last week compared to the previous week. Around 4.99 million newly recorded cases were documented worldwide from December 20 to 26, according to a WHO's weekly epidemiological report, which was released late Tuesday.

Europe accounted for more than half of the total, with 2.84 million, which is a 3% rise over the previous week. It also had the greatest infection rate of any region, with 304.6 new cases per 100,000 population. WHO also claims that new cases in the Americas increased by 39% to roughly 1.48 million, and the region had the second-highest infection rate, with 144.4 new cases per 100,000 population. The United States saw more than 1.18 million instances. Africa, on the other hand, reported an increase of 7% to approximately 275,000 cases.

The overall danger associated with the new variant

WHO also stated that the overall danger associated with the new variant Omicron remains quite high. It further stated that there is consistent evidence that it has a growth advantage over the delta variant, which is still dominant in some regions of the world, according to AP News. It was reported that there has been a decrease in cases in South Africa and that preliminary data from that country, the United Kingdom and Denmark indicate a lower risk of hospitalisation with Omicron.

Many health officials have claimed that despite the fact that Omicron is more contagious, it is less severe. However, the WHO believed that more evidence is needed to understand the clinical markers of severity, including the need for oxygen, mechanical ventilation and mortality, and how severity may be altered by vaccination or past infection, according to AP News.

WHO chief condemned COVID-19 booster programmes

WHO's Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned COVID-19 booster programmes that are being undertaken in wealthy developed nations. He stated that no country can boost its way out of the pandemic, adding that such schemes would most likely prolong the pandemic by depriving poorer countries of the opportunity to vaccinate their citizens.

(Inputs from AP News)