The World Health Organization announced an increase of more than 80 percent in the COVID-19 infection rate during recent weeks, compared to the previous 28 days. The international organization revealed in its latest data that nearly 1.5 million new COVID-19 cases and more than 2,500 deaths were reported in the last 28 days (from July 10 to August 6).
The organization noted that while five of its regions reported a decrease in both cases and deaths, the Western Pacific region reported an increase in cases and a decrease in deaths. As of August 6, COVID-19 has claimed the lives of approximately 6.9 million people worldwide, in addition to infecting over 768 million since the virus emerged.
The organization confirmed that "COVID-19" "still poses a significant threat" despite the end of the emergency state declared by the World Health Organization on May 5, pointing to the rising spread of the "Omicron" variant, which has been detected in 48 countries. Additionally, on Wednesday, the World Health Organization classified the (EG.5) variant of COVID-19, prevalent in the United States and China, as a "variant of interest," but stated that it does not seem to pose a greater public health threat than other variants.
