This is the third consecutive week of declines in COVID-19 cases.
WHO reported that there were 12 million new coronavirus cases last week in its weekly pandemic report. The number of COVID-19-related deaths worldwide fell by 8% to 67,000, which is the lowest weekly death rate since January.
With a 29% increase in COVID-19-related cases in the Western Pacific, the rate of infection was only slightly higher than elsewhere. While the number of deaths fell everywhere else, the Western Pacific saw an increase in new cases while Africa saw a decrease. The U.S., South Korea, Brazil, Germany and Brazil had the highest numbers of COVID-19 new cases.
WHO stated that omicron is still the dominant variant globally, accounting for more then 99% of the sequences in the largest virus database. It stated that delta was the only variant of significance and accounted for less than 1% of all sequences.
WHO reported that there is evidence that booster vaccination significantly improves (vaccine efficacy) against the omicron variant. However, more information is needed about how long this protection lasts.
The agency previously stated that there was no evidence boosters are necessary for healthy people. It pleaded with rich nations not to give third doses of their citizens before sharing them with the poorer countries.
Omicron is a milder variant of COVID-19. Health officials noted that it has spread to many countries, but COVID-19 death and hospitalization rates have not significantly increased.
Scientists warn, however, that COVID-19 may still be transmissible and potentially deadly if it is not controlled.
Hans Kluge, WHO Europe chief, said that the region is now in a “plausible endinggame” for the virus. He also stated that there is now an “unique opportunity” for authorities and the WHO to stop the pandemic.
Britain announced this week that it would remove all COVID-19 restrictions. This was despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson acknowledging the possibility of future deadly strains. Sweden canceled wide-scale testing of COVID-19 in people without symptoms earlier this month. It said that the costs of testing and the cost of its pandemic restrictions were not justified.
The leader of Hong Kong announced Tuesday that the city would test its entire population for COVID-19 three more times in March, as it struggles with the worst outbreak since the onset of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
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