The number of positive COVID-19 cases worldwide has increased by 30 percent in the past two weeks, according to the WHO. This is the latest in an upward trend in new cases that began four weeks ago, after a decline in cases since the last peak in March 2022, the WHO says.
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A “dramatic” reduction in testing in countries around the world is exacerbating the challenge of the ongoing pandemic, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said during a press conference on Wednesday. Story continues below ad “This obscures the true picture of an evolving virus and the true burden of the COVID-19 disease worldwide,” he said. “It also means that treatments are not given early enough to prevent serious illness and/or death.” In the US and Europe, Omicron’s rapidly spreading BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are driving the current rise in cases. These subvariants have so far been able to effectively evade immunity, both from vaccination and previous infection, which is fueling new outbreaks around the world.
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In Canada, federal public health officials have also expressed concern about the increasing prevalence and spread of BA.4 and BA.5. The two subvariants now collectively account for nearly 30 percent of new cases in Canada, according to federal COVID-19 epidemiological data. Canada’s public health chief, Dr. Theresa Tam, has repeatedly warned of the need for vigilance, and last week specifically noted that the country should “prepare for a resurgence in the coming weeks and months.” “Given that BA.4 and BA.5 are even more contagious and immunosuppressive than BA.1 and BA.2., it is reasonable to expect that we will see an increase in cases in the coming weeks,” Tam said during a briefing . June 30. Story continues below ad 2:08 Uptick in Omicron cases this summer likely means more hospitalizations. In recent weeks, several provinces have seen an increase in COVID-19 activity, including Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. This is leading some experts to predict that a “summer wave” is imminent. Marianne Levitsky, an adjunct lecturer at the University of Toronto, said she believes the wastewater data in Ontario is the most reliable indicator of contamination in that province, given that testing has declined in Ontario. And the latest data suggests a summer surge could very well be at play, he said. “The sewage signal shows that the numbers are increasing and certainly that’s what Public Health Ontario is saying, the scientific panel, etc., so unfortunately, that seems to be the situation we’re in.”
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Story continues below ad The data also show that those increases began when mandates for public masks were lifted, which underscores the importance of face coverings and other public health measures in mitigating the spread of the virus, said Levitsky, who is also an occupational hygienist and an expert on workplace hazards and controls. Related News
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“It seems to be kind of a perfect storm situation … the various mandates and control requirements started coming in just as this more virulent variant was hitting us,” he said. That’s why he believes mask mandates should be reinstated given the spread of new variants, particularly BA.5 in Canada, and stresses that masks continue to be “strongly recommended” by public health officials. “We know that this particular variant just seems to be highly virulent and evade immunity from vaccines and previous infection … right now, it looks like the risk is increasing. So we have to bring back some of the controls we used in the past.”
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WHO official Dr Mike Ryan said on Wednesday that he believed there was a “much more intense wave of disease passing through” countries around the world, but that this was not being recorded due to a “collapse of data”. However, deaths from COVID-19 are not increasing significantly, which could mean that the new variants are not as strong and that the vaccines are working, he said. Story continues below ad That’s why it’s even more important to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have more equitable access to vaccines and antiviral drugs, such as Paxlovid, which can significantly reduce serious outcomes and deaths. 2:01 Ontario braces for summer COVID-19 surge Ontario braces for summer COVID-19 surge WHO is calling for more investment from countries in surveillance and information sharing and better allocation of resources. Because until the whole world is better protected, the virus won’t stop circulating, Ryan said. “The WHO is not here to tell the world it’s time to end our lockdown,” he said. “But what we are saying to countries is make sure the most vulnerable get vaccinated, make sure your immunity is strong, make sure you have your surveillance, make sure you have your antivirals in the system so that those vulnerable people to make the infected can be treated early and to make sure, as I said, that we look out for each other.” Related News © 2022 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
