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.

‹

Carolina Blood Drive Marks 35th Year With More Than 500 Donors

Hundreds of Chapel Hill community members lined up at the Dean E. Smith Center on Wednesday — not for any athletic event, but to donate blood. The 35th annual Carolina Blood Drive set up their operations in the basketball arena once again, this time a month earlier than normal in an attempt to boost student […]

Carolina Blood Drive Returns to Full Operations for 34th Year

Typically, the floor of the Dean Smith Center is being used for basketball action. But as visitors walked into the arena Tuesday, the floor was filled with donation beds, chairs and snack stations for the 34th annual Carolina Blood Drive. Jen DeNeal spoke with people waiting to be double-red donors, or double the […]

Carolina Blood Drive Adds Donations to Prepare Supply for Winter Months

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Employee Forum and the American Red Cross held the annual Holiday Carolina Blood Drive on Thursday, collecting blood donations to prepare for the winter months. Many community members visited Fetzer Hall on UNC’s campus to roll up their sleeves and donate, with organizers reporting afterward the event […]

On Air Today: The 38th Annual Carolina Blood Drive

Tuesday, April 28, head to the Smith Center for the 38th Annual Carolina Blood Drive, running from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Governor Roy Cooper Donates Blood Amid Nationwide Shortage

Amid a nationwide blood shortage, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper publicly donated blood Thursday morning at the American Red Cross of Eastern North Carolina and encouraged others to consider doing so. Blood supplies are critically low right now, and donating saves lives. Today, Gov. Cooper donated blood at the American Red Cross of Eastern North […]

UNC, Red Cross Announce Date for 2021 Carolina Blood Drive

One of the American Red Cross’ largest blood drives in the country recently announced its date for this summer. The 33rd annual Carolina Blood Drive, held on the campus of UNC, is set to be held on Tuesday, June 8, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event, organized by the Red Cross and UNC’s […]

Carolina Blood Drive Returning for 32nd Year, Organizers Urge Participation

Like past years, the UNC-Chapel Hill Employee Forum is partnering with the Red Cross to hold its annual Carolina Blood Drive. This year, though, the need for participation may be greater than ever. The organizations announced the return of the Carolina Blood Drive Tuesday morning, saying it will be held Tuesday, June 2, in the […]

Annual Carolina Blood Drive Kicks Off 29th Year

According to American Red Cross, every two seconds, someone in the country needs blood. They need blood his or her body can’t produce fast enough, and in these cases, they need donated blood. “I may be a rare person in that I not only consented but requested my own emergency hysterectomy because I started yelling, […]

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.

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.

›