The Head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has attributed a surge in COVID-19 transmission last month to holiday gatherings and the widespread prevalence of the JN.1 variant, leading to nearly 10,000 reported deaths.
Addressing the media from Geneva, Tedros expressed concern over a 42% increase in hospital admissions in almost 50 countries, predominantly in Europe and the Americas.
While acknowledging that the current death toll is lower than the pandemic's peak, Tedros emphasized, "Although 10,000 deaths a month is far less than the peak of the pandemic, this level of preventable deaths is not acceptable." He urged governments to maintain surveillance efforts and ensure ongoing access to treatments and vaccines, highlighting the likelihood of unreported cases in other regions.
Tedros identified the JN.1 variant, an omicron variant, as the predominant strain globally, reassuring that existing vaccines should still offer some protection.
Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's technical lead for COVID-19, highlighted a global increase in respiratory diseases, including COVID-19, flu, rhinovirus, and pneumonia. Anticipating this trend to persist into January, especially in the Northern Hemisphere's winter months, she noted a simultaneous rise in COVID-19 cases in the Southern Hemisphere during its summer.
Van Kerkhove emphasized the unique challenge of the co-circulation of various pathogens this year, noting, "We are seeing co-circulation of many different types of pathogens."
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