Covid-19 Cases Rising Again: WHO Issues Urgent Alert On Potentially Severe Variants

If you believe that Covid-19 is no longer a concern or that its impact has diminished, think again. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the percentage of positive tests has been increasing across 84 countries in recent weeks.

The UN health agency is also warning that more severe variants of the coronavirus may soon be on the horizon.

"Covid-19 is still very much with us," and circulating in all countries, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove of WHO told journalists in Geneva.

"Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries reports that the percent of positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 has been rising over several weeks," she said. "Overall, test positivity is above 10 per cent, but this fluctuates per region. In Europe, percent positivity is above 20 per cent," Dr Van Kerkhove added.

According to Fortune Magazine, the virus has spread far and wide this summer; President Joe Biden tested positive in July and, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 40 athletes at the Paris Olympics have been infected with Covid or other respiratory illnesses.

As per a WHO release, new waves of infection have been registered in the Americas, Europe and Western Pacific. Wastewater surveillance suggests that the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 is two to 20 times higher than what is currently being reported. Such high infection circulation rates in the northern hemisphere's summer months are atypical for respiratory viruses, which tend to spread mostly in cold temperatures.

"In recent months, regardless of the season, many countries have experienced surges of Covid-19, including at the Olympics where at least 40 athletes have tested positive," Dr Van Kerkhove said.

"As individuals it is important to take measures to reduce risk of infection and severe disease, including ensuring that you have had a Covid-19 vaccination dose in the last 12 months, especially, if you are in an at-risk group," stressed Dr Van Kerkhove.

Vaccines availability has declined substantially over the last 12-18 months, WHO admits, because the number of producers of Covid-19 vaccines has recently decreased. "It is very difficult for them to maintain the pace," Dr Van Kerkhove explained. "And certainly, they don't need to maintain the pace that they had in 2021 and 2022. But let's be very clear, there is a market for Covid-19 vaccines that are out there."