Nearly 10,000 Died From COVID-19 Last Month, Fueled by Holiday Gatherings and New Variant, WHO Says

Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, while hospital admissions during the month jumped 42% in nearly 50 countries — mostly in Europe and the Americas — that shared such trend information.

“Although 10,000 deaths a month is far less than the peak of the pandemic, this level of preventable deaths is not acceptable,” the World Health Organization director-general told reporters from its headquarters in Geneva.

He said it was “certain” that cases were on the rise in other places that haven’t been reporting, calling on governments to keep up surveillance and provide continued access to treatments and vaccines.

Tedros said the JN.1 variant was now the most prominent in the world. It is an omicron variant, so current vaccines should still provide some protection.

Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead at WHO for COVID-19, cited an increase in respiratory diseases across the globe due to the coronavirus but also flu, rhinovirus and pneumonia.

“We expect those trends to continue into January through the winter months in the northern hemisphere,” she said, while noting increases in COVID-19 in the southern hemisphere — where it’s now summer.

While bouts of coughs, sniffling, fever and fatigue in the winter are nothing new, Van Kerkhove said this year in particular, “we are seeing co-circulation of many different types of pathogens.”

WHO officials recommend that people get vaccinated when possible, wear masks, and make sure indoor areas are well ventilated.

“The vaccines may not stop you being infected, but the vaccines are certainly reducing significantly your chance of being hospitalized or dying,” said Dr. Michael Ryan, head of emergencies at WHO.

Photo via Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone and Associated Press.

‹

102 COVID-19 Cases Among UNC's Granville Towers Residents, Cluster in Carmichael Residence Hall

Granville Towers is one of the UNC residence hall communities experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19. On Friday, students learned the extent of the cases. According to an email sent to Granville Towers residents, Carolina Housing said the two apartment towers have totaled 102 positive coronavirus cases as of Thursday. The Daily Tar Heel, which obtained […]

Virus Flareups in Europe Lead to Club Closings, Mask Orders

New flareups of COVID-19 are disrupting the peak summer vacation season across much of Europe, where authorities in some countries are reimposing restrictions on travelers, closing nightclubs again, banning fireworks displays and expanding mask orders even in chic resort areas. “Unfortunately, this virus doesn’t play ball,” British Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News. The […]

Coronavirus Breaks Out Again in New Zealand After 102 Days

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first reported cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Ardern said Auckland, the nation’s largest city, will be moved to Alert Level 3 from midday Wednesday […]

After 99 Days of Success, Virus Returns to Haunt Vietnam

For 99 days, Vietnam seemed to have defeated the coronavirus. There wasn’t a single reported case of community transmission. Not a single death. A handful of cases were caught and isolated at the border, but otherwise people were returning to their normal lives. The country of 96 million people was hailed globally as a standout […]

With Recovery of Last Case, New Zealand Has Eradicated Virus

New Zealand appears to have completely eradicated the coronavirus — at least for now — after health officials said Monday the last known infected person had recovered. The announcement was greeted with joy around the country and means the nation of 5 million people will be among the first to welcome throngs of fans back […]

5 Things We Know and Still Don’t Know About COVID, 5 Years After It Appeared

COVID-19 is less deadly than it was in the pandemic’s early days. But the virus is evolving, meaning scientists must track it closely.

Seen Abroad as a Leader on Indigenous Rights, New Zealand Enters a Divisive New Era

Māori culture and language has exploded in popularity to become part of daily life in New Zealand. But some use it to cause fraught debate.

Mental Health, Infant Mortality and Environmental Racism: Takeaways From Orange County's Health Assessment Data

Every four years, the Orange County Health Department embarks on an intensive effort to gather wide-ranging, local health information in its Community Health Assessment, which happened in 2023. One month ago, the health department shared those results and data with residents. The health department published its public copies of the 2023 assessment after surveys, focus […]

Governor's Pandemic Rules for Bars Violated North Carolina Constitution, Appeals Court Says

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper's orders to bars to stay closed during the COVID-19 pandemic were “illogical," an appeals court ruled Tuesday.

Nearly 10,000 Died From COVID-19 Last Month, Fueled by Holiday Gatherings and New Variant, WHO Says

The head of the U.N. health agency said holiday gatherings and global spread led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month.

›