New COVID-19 variants fuel surge in cases in Mediterranean, Pacific

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Aug 2023 23:28
3 Shares

The WHO found that the number of COVID-19 lethal cases decreased in all regions other than the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

Respiratory therapist Frans Oudenaar, left, and registered nurse Bryan Hofilena cover the body of a COVID-19 patient with a sheet at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center in Los Angeles, Dec. 14, 2021. (AP)

The WHO said in its weekly epidemiological update released on Thursday that the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the Western Pacific Region had the highest number of COVID-19 cases from July 24 to August 20.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported earlier this month that the number of COVID-19 cases worldwide had increased by 63% from July 24 to August 20.

"At the regional level, the number of newly reported cases within a 28-day period has increased across three of the five WHO regions assessed: the European Region (+11%), the Western Pacific Region (+88%), and the Eastern Mediterranean Region (+112%); while case numbers decreased in two WHO regions: the African Region (-84%), and the South-East Asia Region (-45%)," the updated report said.

The report also noted that the number of lethal COVID-19 cases decreased in all regions other than the Eastern Mediterranean Region.

"The number of newly reported deaths within a 28-day period has decreased across four regions: the African Region (-75%), the South-East Asia Region (-55%), the European Region (-49%), and the Western Pacific Region (-14%); while newly reported deaths increased in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (+70%)," the WHO said.

A prominent WHO official said a week ago that a recently identified COVID variant known as BA.2.86, characterized by its substantial mutations, has now surfaced in Switzerland and South Africa, in addition to previous reports of cases in occupied Palestine, Denmark, the US, and the UK.

Compared to the dominant XBB.1.5 variant in 2023, the BA.2.86 variant carries more than 35 mutations in critical parts of the virus, a number roughly equivalent to the Omicron variant which led to a surge in infections globally.

The variant was initially detected in Denmark on July 24 after sequencing the virus from a patient at risk of severe illness. Since then, it has been found in other symptomatic patients, identified through airport screenings, and even present in wastewater samples in a few countries.