This is likely to have been due to changes in the way COVID-19 deaths were reported across Americas and to newly adjusted numbers from India.
The U.N.’s latest weekly report on the pandemic said that the number of coronavirus new cases dropped everywhere. This includes in WHO’s Western Pacific region where they have been increasing since December.
After a 23% decrease in deaths the week before, approximately 10 million COVID-19-related infections were reported and over 45,000 deaths occurred worldwide.
The increase in deaths reported, from 33,000 last Wednesday, was primarily due to an accounting change. WHO observed that COVID-19 deaths were being redefined differently by countries such as Chile and the United States.
WHO also reported that more than 4,000 deaths in Maharashtra, India, were added to the COVID-19 death statistics last week.
WHO repeatedly stated that COVID-19 cases are likely to underestimate the coronavirus’ prevalence. Recent research indicates that the COVID death rate is three times greater than the WHO’s official count . The latest figures were published in The Lancet and are based upon the number of deaths in excess in different countries. Researchers used the model to calculate the “expected” deaths from years that were not affected by a pandemic and the actual number who died.
In recent weeks, the agency warned countries against abandoning their surveillance and comprehensive testing. This would make it impossible to track the spread of the virus accurately.
WHO stated that data are “progressively becoming less representative, less reliable and more timely” “This hinders our collective ability track where the virus is, its spreading, and how it is changing: information and analyses that are critical for effectively ending the acute phase of the pandemic remain vital.”
The agency stated that less surveillance could lead to a decrease in detection of new COVID variants, and impede any potential response.
Many countries in Europe, North America, and elsewhere have recently removed nearly all of their COVID-19 protocols. They rely on high levels vaccination to prevent another infection spike, even though the more dangerous Omicron subvariantBA.2 is increasing the number of cases.
British authorities stated that they do not expect to see an equal increase in the number of cases but have not observed an equivalent rise or decrease in deaths and hospitalizations.
China l has stopped Shanghai in its quest to stop an Omicron epidemic that has ravaged the country’s largest wave of disease, despite the worldwide decline in cases. The virus was first discovered in Wuhan, China in 2019.
Officials in the United States expanded the use vaccine boosters Tuesday. They said that Americans 50 years and older can receive a booster within four months of their last vaccination.
A poll by AP-NORC found that half of Americans don’t wear face masks regularly, and they prefer to avoid crowds and not travel for non-essential reasons.
