It seems that COVID-19 is poised to see increased spread around the world this year as well. The World Health Organization reported today, Wednesday, that the current year of the COVID-19 pandemic could be more severe than last year.
Mike Ryan, an official with the organization, stated that given the extent of the virus's spread, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and the emergence of more contagious variants, the pandemic will be more intense in its second year. According to the latest data from the World Health Organization on outbreaks, after two weeks of fewer recorded cases, five million new infections were detected last week. Maria Van Kerkhove, the organization's technical lead, predicted that the situation may worsen following the holidays in some countries. The organization has previously urged preparedness for worse scenarios due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mike Ryan expressed that this pandemic is very challenging, having spread rapidly across the globe, affecting all corners of the planet; however, it is not necessarily the worst. COVID-19 has claimed nearly two million lives worldwide and infected over 81 million people.
