Coronavirus infection is still increasing in 55 out of 240 countries. (Representative)
Worldwide cases due to COVID-19 neared 250 million on Sunday as a surge from the delta variant and more normal trade and tourism resumed, although some countries in Eastern Europe experienced record outbreaks. facing.
In the past three months, the daily average number of cases has dropped by 36%, according to a Reuters analysis.
Although the spread has slowed, the virus is still infecting 50 million people every 90 days because of the highly transmissible delta variant, the analysis showed. It took almost a year to record the first 50 million COVID cases.
Health experts are optimistic that many countries have kept the pandemic behind, thanks to vaccines and natural exposure, although they caution that cold weather and upcoming holiday celebrations could increase cases.
Maria Van Kerkhove, an epidemiologist who leads the World Health Organization, told Reuters: “We think between now and the end of 2022, that is the point where we get control of this virus … can significantly reduce death.” .
In addition to vaccines, doctors now have better treatments. Britain on Thursday became the first country in the world to jointly approve a potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill called molnupiravir jointly by Merck and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. Studies have shown that it can halve the chances of dying or being hospitalized in people who are at risk of developing severe COVID-19 early in the disease.
According to a Reuters analysis, infections are still rising in Russia, Ukraine and Greece at record levels, or about 240 countries, since the pandemic began two years ago.
The region has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Eastern Europe. According to the analysis, more than half of all new infections reported worldwide were from countries in Europe, with a million new infections every four days.
Several Russian regions said this week they may impose additional restrictions or close workplaces to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases as the country has seen record deaths due to the disease.
According to Our World in Data, more than half of the world’s population has not yet received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Less than 5% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and other aid groups last month appealed to the leaders of the world’s 20 largest economies to plan a $23.4 billion plan to bring COVID-19 vaccines, tests and medicines to poorer countries over the next 12 months. finance the
Jarbas Barbosa, assistant director of PAHO, urged officials to prioritize protecting the elderly, frontline workers and people with pre-existing conditions from the burden of the health care system, saying, “Vaccine disparity is the most important factor in reaching our coverage goals. There remains a major obstacle.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
.