Global Covid-19 cases up by 11 per cent last week

Dozens of people wait to be tested for COVID-19 at a mobile health unit run by Nomi Health, in Miami, on Tuesday

The World Health Organization says the number of Covid-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11 per cent last week compared with the previous week, with the biggest increase in the Americas. The gain followed a gradual increase since October.

The UN health agency said in its weekly epidemiological report late Tuesday that there were nearly 4.99 million newly reported cases in the world from Dec. 20-26. Europe had more than half the total, with 2.84 mn, though that amounted to only a 3 per cent increase over previous week. It also had the highest infection rate of any region, with 304.6 new cases per 1,00,000 residents.

A man is tested at the site at Nomi Health. Pics/AP

Who said that new cases in the Americas were up 39 per cent to nearly 1.48 million, and the region had the second-highest infection rate with 144.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. The U.S. alone saw more than 1.18 million cases, a 34 per cent increase.

Reported new cases in Africa were up 7 per cent to nearly 275,000. The agency said that "the overall risk related to the new variant … omicron remains very high." It cited "consistent evidence" that it has a growth advantage over the delta variant, which remains dominant in parts of the world.

An Orange County family gets tested on the first day of the new Covid-19 drive-thru testing site hosted by Orange County Health Services in Orlando, Florida on Monday. Pic/AP

It noted that a decline in case incidence has been seen in South Africa, and that early data from that country, the U.K. and Denmark suggest a reduced risk of hospitalization with omicron. But it said that more data is needed "to understand the clinical markers of severity including the use of oxygen, mechanical ventilation and death, and how severity may be impacted by vaccination and/or prior … infection."

The WHO said that the number of newly reported deaths worldwide last week was down 4 per cent to 44,680.

44,680
No. of newly reported deaths worldwide last week

4,55,944 No. of new cases reported globally in the past 24 hours
28,01,19,931 Total no. of cases worldwide
54,03,662 Total no. of deaths worldwide

Antibodies that can block Omicron variant identified

Scientists have identified antibodies that neutralise Omicron and other variants of coronavirus by targeting areas that remain essentially unchanged as the virus mutates. The research, published in the journal Nature, may help design vaccines and antibody treatments that will be effective against not only Omicron but other variants that may emerge in the future. "This finding tells us that by focusing on antibodies that target these highly conserved sites on the spike protein, there is a way to overcome the virus' continual evolution," said David Veesler, an associate professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in the US.

Omicron a ‘seasonal cold virus': US doc

Terming the Omicron variant as nothing more than a "seasonal cold virus", a US-based cardiologist has warned against "overreaction and over-reach" by government agencies, saying their actions are causing panic and providing misinformation. In a series of tweets on Tuesday, Afshine Emrani, Medical Director at Los Angeles Heart Specialists, suggested zcountries should not test for Omicron, and instead, focus on providing "psychological and financial assistance" to people. Emrani claimed Omicron is "literally" the vaccine that vaccine companies could not make. He added that within "8-12 weeks the world will be vaccinated" due to the spread of the virus. "There is little we can do to stop this virus from infecting 80 per cent + of the population. Masks. Vaccine card mandates will make no difference. Sure, people who are vaccinated have a much lower chance of dying or getting hospitalized," he said. "The biggest threat remains in over-reaction and over-reach by government agencies, causing panic, providing misinformation, leading to closures that hurt those most vulnerable among us."

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