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Based the latest WHO Epi Report - after 6 consecutive weeks of declines - bolstered by recent increases in the Western Pacific, Africa, and European regions, global COVID cases registered a modest 8% gain this past week. Deaths - always a lagging indicator - continued to decline in every region but the Western Pacific, where they increased by 12%.
The WHO Overview follows:
Overview
After a consistent decrease in the number of new COVID-19 cases reported globally on a weekly basis since the end of January 2022, during the week of 7 through 13 March 2022, the number of new weekly cases has increased by 8% as compared to the previous week. Across the six WHO regions, over 11 million new cases and just over 43 000 new deaths were reported. As of 13 March 2022, over 455 million confirmed cases and over 6 million deaths have been reported globally.
At the regional level, the Western Pacific Region, the African Region and the European Region reported an increase in new weekly cases of 29%, 12% and 2%, respectively, as compared with the previous week; while a decrease has been reported by the Eastern Mediterranean Region (-24%), the South-East Asia Region (-21%) and the Region of the Americas (-20%).
The number of new weekly deaths decreased globally by 17%. At the regional level, the Western Pacific Region reported an increase in new weekly deaths (+12%), while decreases were reported by the Eastern Mediterranean Region (-49%), the African Region (-41%), Europe Region (-23%), the Region of the Americas and South-East Asia Region (both -15%).
Although Omicron (BA.1, BA.2, etc.) has effectively replaced earlier variants - it is possible one or more of them could re-emerge - so the WHO has decided to differentiate between previously defined VOCs and VOIs, designating them as either 'currently circulating' or 'previously circulating' depending upon their current status.
The WHO describes this change below in this week's 18-page PDF Report:
Designation of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs as currently and previously circulating VOCs
During the last six months, a significant decline in the circulation of the VOCs Alpha, Beta and Gamma has been observed in all six WHO regions. Over the past 90 days, few to no sequences of these variants have been reported.
The WHO Technical Advisory Group on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution (TAG-VE) convened on 7 March 2022 to discuss the classification of these variants. While the classification of VOCs and VOIs remains unchanged, VOCs and VOIs will further be designated as either 'currently circulating' or 'previously circulating' depending on current epidemiological trends. On 9 March 2022, on the advice of the TAG-VE, WHO designated Alpha, Beta and Gamma as ‘previously circulating VOCs’ and Delta and Omicron as ‘currently circulating VOCs’.
Once a variant has been classified by WHO as a VOC using an assessment based on several criteria (WHO Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants website, see list of criteria), it remains a VOC. Low circulation of a VOC does not alter the concerning characteristics of the virus; its initial phenotypic characteristics remain unchanged. Given the uncertainty regarding the existence and low circulation of any of these VOCs in regions with limited sampling and sequencing capacity, all VOCs should continue to be monitored within the framework of representative community sampling and sequencing.
Designation of SARS-CoV-2 VOIs Lambda and Mu as previously circulating VOIs
On 9 March 2022, Lambda, first detected in Peru in December 2020, and Mu, first detected in Colombia in January 2021, were designated as ‘previously circulating VOIs’. Their prevalence has declined significantly over the last year, with no circulation reported during the past 90 days in any of the six WHO regions.
The actions required by Member States remain the same whether the VOC or VOI is further categorized as currently or previously circulating, for more details see the WHO Tracking SARS-CoV-2 variants website. Member States should continue to monitor SARS-CoV-2 variants, including current and previously circulating VOCs and VOIs, and flag any observed upsurge of cases linked to these variants. The designation from currently circulating VOC or VOI to previously circulating VOC or VOI reflects the declined circulation of the variant but does not exclude the possibility of a future upsurge of this variant.
This week the WHO also discusses modified Contact tracing and quarantine in the context of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant.
Last week the WHO's weekly COVID report mentioned they were aware of recent reports of recombinant variants (see A COVID Recombination Review), and provided their latest assessment on Omicron BA.2.
This week's report does not provide any additional information on either of these topics.
