GENEVA: The World Health Organization (WHO) issued a warning on Wednesday about “concerning trends” in Covid-19 cases as the Northern Hemisphere prepares for the upcoming winter season. The UN health agency emphasized the importance of heightened vaccination efforts and enhanced surveillance to curb the spread of the virus.
While the availability of Covid-19 data has been limited due to some countries discontinuing reporting, the WHO estimated that hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide were currently hospitalized with the virus.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated during an online press conference, “We continue to see concerning trends for Covid-19 ahead of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere.” He noted that Covid-19-related deaths were increasing in specific regions of Asia, while intensive care unit admissions were on the rise in Europe, and hospitalizations were increasing in several areas.
Tedros also pointed out that only 43 countries, representing less than a quarter of the WHO’s 194 member states, were reporting Covid-19 deaths to the agency, and only 20 countries provided information about hospitalizations.
Increased Covid-19 Transmission
Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO’s technical lead on Covid-19, expressed concern about the potential for increased Covid transmission during the colder months when people tend to spend more time indoors together. She emphasized the need for testing and vaccination, particularly as other respiratory viruses like influenza and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) also circulate during this period.
Tedros mentioned that there is currently no single dominant Covid-19 variant globally, but he noted that the EG.5 Omicron subvariant is on the rise. Additionally, small numbers of the highly mutated BA.2.86 subvariant have been detected in 11 countries. The WHO is closely monitoring this variant to assess its transmissibility and potential impact. Preliminary data suggests that existing vaccines will provide protection against the BA.2.86 subvariant.
One of the WHO’s significant concerns is the low number of at-risk individuals who have received Covid-19 booster doses. Tedros urged vulnerable populations not to delay getting a booster dose, emphasizing that the recent increase in hospitalizations and deaths underscores the persistent threat of Covid-19.
Last week, the WHO announced that its global knowledge-sharing platform for Covid, known as C-TAP, had secured three new licensing agreements to transfer vaccine technologies. This initiative aims to enhance global access to Covid-19 vaccines and accelerate vaccination efforts worldwide.
