The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in the last 28 days (from July 10 to August 6, 2023), there were nearly 1.5 million new cases of Covid-19 and over 2,500 deaths globally.

 

Although an 80% increase in new cases was noted, deaths decreased by 57% compared to the previous period. Globally, more than 769 million confirmed cases and over 6.9 million deaths have been reported to date.

 

In regional terms, most WHO areas reported decreases in new cases and deaths in the 28-day span, except for the Western Pacific Region, which experienced a 137% increase in cases. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that current reports do not accurately reflect infection rates due to reduced testing and reporting globally.

 

Furthermore, the WHO has classified EG.5 as a variant of interest, a descendant of XBB.1.9.2 that poses a low risk to public health. Despite the current situation, the need for accurate reporting and tracking infection trends remains crucial to controlling the virus's spread.