COVID hot spots shift; studies add evidence for Wuhan market origin
Some parts of Asia are now experiencing surges in BA.5 Omicron subvariant activity, as levels decline in earlier affected countries, keeping global cases steady at a high level, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today in its latest weekly update on the pandemic.In other global developments, two studies in Science presented the strongest evidence yet that the market in Wuhan was where SARS-CoV-2 emerged from activities related to the wild animal trade.Japan reports record highAt a WHO briefing today, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, PhD, said the pandemic is far from over, noting that deaths have been on the rise over the past 5 weeks, and several countries are reporting increasing hospitalizations in the wake of Omicron subvariant waves.He warned that even in countries that have reached 70% vaccination coverage, pockets of unvaccinated health workers, older people, and other risk groups will continue to put pressure on health systems and put global recovery at risk. "This is not theoretical, this is real," Tedros said.In its weekly update, the WHO said about 6.6 million new cases were reported last week, about the same as the previous week.
However, cases rose in three WHO regions: the Western Pacific, the Eastern Mediterranean, and South East Asia.Hot spots in the Western Pacific region include Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
Japan today reported its highest daily total of the pandemic, passing 209,000 for the first time, as its seventh wave intensifies, according to Kyodo News.In the Eastern Mediterranean region, cases rose sharply in Iran, Tunisia, and Iraq, and in South East Asia, the pace of new cases is high, especially in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar, and Indonesia, the WHO said.Regarding
United States
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Cases: 46 252 513
Deaths: 750 423
Recovered: 0
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India
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Cases: 34 321 025
Deaths: 459 652
Recovered: 0
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Brazil
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Cases: 21 835 785
Deaths: 608 235
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United Kingdom
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Cases: 9 215 683
Deaths: 141 607
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Russia
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Cases: 8 494 589
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