The possibility that more potent coronavirus variations could emerge in the near future worries the UN health agency as well.
According to Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove of the WHO, “COVID-19 is still very much with us” and spreading throughout all nations, she told reporters in Geneva.
The percentage of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been increasing over the course of several weeks, according to data from our sentinel-based surveillance system spanning 84 countries, she said. “In general, test positivity rates exceed 10%; however, regional variations exist.” Positive sentiment is higher than 20% in Europe, the speaker continued.
There have been reports of new infection waves in the western Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.
According to wastewater surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 is two to twenty times more common than current estimates indicate.
In the summer months in the northern hemisphere, infection circulation rates are unusually high for respiratory viruses, which typically spread primarily in cold temperatures.
“Countrywide COVID-19 outbreaks have been reported in recent months, including during the Olympics,” Dr. Van Kerkhove stated. At least 40 athletes tested positive for COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses, according to a WHO report.
There is an increasing chance that a more severe strain of the virus will emerge as it spreads and changes, one that might avoid detection and be resistant to treatment.
Boost vaccine awareness
The World Health Organization is advising governments to step up vaccination campaigns and ensure that the highest-risk groups receive shots at least once every 12 months, even though hospital admissions—including those for critical care—are still significantly lower than they were at the height of the pandemic.
“It is crucial for individuals to take precautions to lower their risk of infection and serious illness, such as making sure they have received a COVID-19 vaccination within the last year, particularly if they belong to an at-risk group,” emphasized Dr. Van Kerkhove.
The World Health Organization acknowledges that the supply of vaccines has significantly decreased in the past 12 to 18 months due to a recent decline in the number of COVID-19 vaccine producers.
Dr. Van Kerkhove clarified, “It is very difficult for them to maintain the pace.” They don’t have to keep up the same pace as they did in 2021 and 2022, for sure. To be clear though, there is a market for COVID-19 vaccines that are currently available.
Nosing Ahead
Although they are still in the early stages of development, nasal vaccinations may be able to stop the spread of the disease and lower the risk of infection, severe illness, and new variants.
The leading WHO COVID specialist expressed concern.
“If we were to have a variant that would be more severe, then the susceptibility of the at-risk populations to develop severe disease is huge,” Dr. Van Kerkhove cautioned, given the low coverage and widespread circulation.
