Covid, WHO: infections in the world increase, Delta variant in 148 countries

After the last two months of constant growth, the number of Covid cases reported in the world in the week from 9 to 15 August has reached over 4.4 million (+ 2% compared to the previous 7 days), a figure which brings the total of infections from the beginning of the pandemic to over 206 million. The deaths are stable, over 66 thousand this week, for a total of almost 4.4 million since the beginning of the pandemic. This is the picture that emerges from the weekly bulletin of the World Health Organization (WHO). To support the upward trend of infections is largely the western Pacific region and that of the Americas, which recorded increases of 14% and 8% respectively compared to the previous week. While the African region reported the largest percentage decrease in the incidence of cases and deaths, -23% and -18% respectively (although the weekend data are incomplete and this could lead to an overestimation of the percentage change). Europe is growing less in terms of new weekly cases than the world average (1%), with 1,134,516 infections recorded in the last 7 days (equal to 26% of the total, one of the highest shares after the Americas which weigh for the 34%); while deaths are down by 3%, to 10,495 this week, after 6 weeks of growth. The regions with the highest weekly incidence rates of cases and deaths per 100,000 inhabitants remain the same as last week in the Americas and Europe (147.4 and 121.6 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, respectively and 2 and 1.1 new deaths per 100,000 inhabitants). Nationally, the highest number of new cases in the past week was reported by the United States (883,996 new cases, + 9%), followed by Iran (269,975 new cases, + 9%) and India (258,121 new cases, -7%). While the highest number of deaths in the last week was reported from Indonesia (10,492, -8%), Brazil (6,100 new cases, -3%) and Russia (5,618, +2%). overall it is starting to stabilize in terms of new weekly cases and deaths, but several countries continue to experience significant increases in the number of infections, including Azerbaijan, Georgia, Israel (which WHO considers in this area), Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. The largest number of new cases in the region was reported by the United Kingdom (198,759, i.e. 292.8 per 100,000 inhabitants, + 7%), followed by Turkey (163,965, -3%) and Russia (153,086 new cases, -4%). ). DELTA VARIANT – The Delta variant of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, reported for the first time in India, has been registered in 148 countries, territories or areas of the planet, 3 more in 7 days, notes the World Health Organization in ‘last weekly bulletin.At global level – the WHO reports – the Alpha (or’ English ‘) variant is present in 190 countries, a stable figure compared to the previous week; while 138 countries (one more) reported the Beta variant (or ‘South African’), 82 (one more) the Gamma (or ‘Brazilian’).