The World Health Organization (WHO) is observing an increase in deaths and hospitalizations related to Corona in several regions. “In the run-up to the winter season in the northern hemisphere, we continue to observe worrying Covid 19 trends,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Geneva on Wednesday.
In the colder months, people are at higher risk of infection, partly because they are more indoors, explained Maria Van Kerkhove, the top corona expert at the WHO. According to the UN organization, deaths are increasing in parts of the Middle East and Asia. Hospitalizations are increasing in the Americas, Europe and Asia. “We estimate that hundreds of thousands of people are currently being treated in hospitals for Corona,” said Van Kerkhove.
Tedros and Van Kerkhove called on older people and other risk groups to get booster shots when needed. According to Van Kerkhove, the current vaccines protect against serious illness and death even when infected with newer virus variants. According to the WHO expert, the BA.2.86 variant, which has been under special surveillance by the WHO since mid-August, has only been recorded worldwide from 11 countries. (dpa)