COVID-19 Cases and Fatalities Decreased Last Week

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported (Edition 105) that the number of new weekly cases decreased by 24% during the week ending August 14, 2022, compared to the previous week. At the regional level, the number of reported new weekly cases decreased across all six WHO regions.

And the number of new weekly deaths decreased by 6% compared to the previous week, with over 15,000 fatalities reported by the WHO.

The highest numbers of new weekly deaths were reported from the USA (2,907; -4%), Japan, Brazil, Italy, and Spain.

The WHO says, 'Current trends in reported COVID-19 cases and deaths should be interpreted with caution as several countries have been progressively changing COVID-19 testing strategies, resulting in lower overall numbers of tests performed and consequently lower numbers of cases detected.'

Dr. Tedros, WHO Director-General, stated on August 17, 2022, 'With colder weather approaching in the northern hemisphere and people spending more time indoors, the risks for more intense transmission and hospitalization will only increase in the coming months, not only for COVID-19 but for other diseases, including influenza.'

'But none of us is helpless.'

'Please get vaccinated if you are not; if you need a booster, get one.'

'Wear a mask when you can't distance and try to avoid crowds, especially indoors.'

'There is a lot of talk about learning to live with this virus, but we cannot live with 15,000 deaths a week.'

'We cannot live with mounting hospitalizations and deaths.'

'Learning to live with COVID-19 does not mean we pretend it's not there. It means we use our tools to protect ourselves and others.'