WHO: Number of weekly COVID deaths declining — lowest since 2020

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 is declining.

Speaking on Thursday at the 15th meeting of the emergency committee on the COVID-19 pandemic, Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, said it was very pleasing to see that the downward trend had continued.

“For each of the past 10 weeks, the number of weekly reported deaths has been the lowest since March 2020,” he said.

“This sustained trend has allowed life to return to normal in most countries, and has increased the capacity of health systems to cope with potential resurgences and the burden of post-COVID-19 condition.”

The director-general said some critical uncertainties about the evolution of the virus persist, creating difficulty in predicting future transmission dynamics.

He said surveillance and genetic sequencing have declined significantly around the world, making it more challenging to track known variants and detect new ones.

“Inequalities in access to life-saving interventions also continue to put millions of people around the world at unnecessary risk, particularly the most vulnerable,” he said.

“And pandemic fatigue threatens us all. We are all sick and tired of this pandemic and want to put it behind us.

“But this virus is here to stay, and all countries will need to learn to manage it alongside other infectious diseases.”