Covid, WHO: weekly infections still growing, the dead also rise

The new weekly infections of Covid-19 continue to grow in the world, driven by the spread of the Delta variant now reported in 111 countries. And after a constant decline that has been maintained for 9 consecutive weeks, the number of weekly deaths from Covid also increases: there is talk of + 3% in the last 7 days compared to the previous ones, with over 55 thousand deaths reported. This is the balance sheet contained in the latest weekly update of the World Health Organization (WHO). As for the infections, almost 3 million were reported globally in the week from 5 to 11 July (the week in which, among other things, the threshold of 4 million victims of the virus recorded since the beginning of the pandemic was exceeded. ). The increase in new cases is 10% globally compared to the previous week, while it is 20% in the European region, where cases are “steadily increasing” and this week over 653 thousand have been reported. The death toll is in line with that reported in the previous week.All regions, except the Americas, reported increases in new cases in the past week, and the greatest growth was in the Eastern Mediterranean region, while in in terms of deaths, the greatest increase was observed in the African region (+ 50%), an area which, however, on the other hand, had the smallest percentage increase in the incidence of infections: + 5%. The Southeast Asian region also recorded a significant increase in the number of deaths, + 26% compared to the previous week. The Americas region had a 3% drop in incidence and an 11% drop in the number of deaths reported last week.Globally, the incidence of Covid-19 has increased with an average of over 400,000 cases reported every day. compared to 370,000 from the previous week. The cumulative number of cases reported globally since the start of the pandemic is now over 186 million. In the last week considered by the WHO, the highest number of new cases was reported by Brazil (333,030, but down 9%), followed by India (291,789, -7%), Indonesia (243,119 new cases ; + 44%), United Kingdom (210,277 new cases; + 30%) and Colombia (174,320 new cases; -15%). The highest number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants sees at the top of the list of islands: the British Virgin Islands (2,497 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants), the Seychelles (763 new cases per 100,000), Cyprus (673 new cases per 100,000), Jersey (628 new cases per 100,000) and Fiji (490 new cases per 100,000). As for Europe after the UK, the highest number of weekly cases was reported in Russia (172,392 new cases; + 8%), and Spain (52,824 new cases; -19%). Russia has the highest number of weekly deaths (5,077; + 9%), followed at a distance by Turkey (318, -9%) and Germany (201, -27%). Delta variant in 111 countries, Alpha in 178 The areas of the world in which the Delta variant of the coronavirus is reported is increasing: 111 countries, territories or areas have detected the presence of the mutant identified for the first time in India, 15 more compared to the previous week. And the number of countries that register Delta cases is approaching that of the Alpha variant, originally discovered in the UK and present – according to data from the last week – in 178 countries and territories around the world, 6 more than the 7 previous days. Immediately after, the Beta variant, identified for the first time in South Africa, and today present in 123 countries (3 new). Finally, 75 countries (3 new) reported cases of the Gamma variant, originally detected in Brazil. Although this distribution must be “interpreted with due consideration of surveillance limits, including differences in sequencing capabilities and sampling strategies between countries – notes the Geneva agency – an overall increase in Covid cases caused by the Delta variant is nevertheless reported. in all WHO regions “. “If as of July 13 at least 111 countries and territories have reported the takeover of Delta, it is expected that” its presence “will continue to increase, and that it will become the dominant variant globally in the coming months”, reiterates the UN agency for the health, defining “it is likely that the greater transmissibility associated with this variant translates into an increase in the incidence of Covid cases and greater pressure on health systems, particularly in contexts of low vaccination coverage”. Hence a warning on the necessary caution when traveling during holidays: “While countries gradually resume non-essential international travel – points out WHO – the introduction of risk mitigation measures to reduce exports, imports and the subsequent transmission of travel-associated SARS-CoV-2 should be based on in-depth assessments conducted in a systematic manner. “