The World Health Organisation has warned that the coronavirus disease is still a major threat despite partially passing under the radar.
The United Nations agency noted that almost 10,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported in December, saying data from various sources pointed to increased transmission last month, fuelled by gatherings over the Christmas holiday period and by the JN.1 variant, which is now the most commonly reported around the globe.
“Although COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the virus is still circulating, changing, and killing,” WHO chief Tedros Ghebreyesus said.
According to reports, besides the near 10,000 deaths reported to the WHO last month, there was a 42 per cent increase in hospitalisations and a 62 per cent increase in intensive care unit admissions, compared with November.
However, the figures are based on data from less than 50 countries mostly in Europe and the Americas, Tedros said.
