Over the past approximately four weeks, there has been a 52 percent rise in new COVID cases, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). During this period, more than 850,000 new cases were recorded. In contrast, the number of new deaths decreased by 8 percent compared to the preceding 28-day period, with over 3,000 new fatalities reported, as stated in the latest WHO press release. As of December 17, the global tally stands at over 772 million confirmed cases and nearly seven million deaths since the emergence of COVID-19.
Further, the WHO said over 118,000 new COVID-19 hospitalisations and over 1600 new intensive care unit (ICU) admissions have been recorded, with an overall increase of 23 per cent and 51 per cent, respectively, globally.As of December 18, 2023, JN.1, a sub-lineage of BA.2.86 Omicron variant has been designated a separate variant of interest (VOI) apart from its parent lineage BA.2.86 due to its rapid increase in prevalence in recent weeks. Globally, EG.5 remains the most reported variant of interest.
Also Read: ड्राई स्टेट गुजरात की GIFT सिटी में पी सकेंगे शराब
WHO: Classification of Variant JN.1 as a Separate Variant of Interest Amid Rising Spread
Due to its rapidly increasing spread, WHO is classifying the variant JN.1 as a separate variant of interest (VOI) from the parent lineage BA.2.86. It was previously classified as VOI as part of BA.2.86 sublineages.Based on the available evidence, the additional global public health risk posed by JN.1 is currently evaluated as low. Despite this, with the onset of winter in the Northern Hemisphere, JN.1 could increase the burden of respiratory infections in many countries.
The WHO had earlier said it was continuously monitoring the evidence and would update the JN.1 risk evaluation as needed.Current vaccines continue to protect against severe disease and death from JN.1 and other circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, it noted.
Besides COVID-19, there is an increase in the prevalence of other respiratory illnesses such as influenza, RSV, and common childhood pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends individuals to employ various preventive measures against infections and severe diseases. These measures encompass wearing masks in crowded or enclosed spaces, maintaining a safe distance from others, adhering to respiratory etiquette by covering coughs and sneezes, practicing regular hand hygiene, and undergoing testing if experiencing symptoms or if there’s potential exposure to COVID-19 or influenza.
Also Read: जम्मू-कश्मीर के राजौरी में बड़े आतंकी हमले में सेना के 4 जवान हुए शहीद