Over 2.9 mln people have contracted the coronavirus infection worldwide over the past week, more than 49,000 died. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of new infections has increased by 4% over seven days, while the number of fatalities has gone up by 5%.
"During the week of 18 to 24 October 2021, the global number of new cases increased slightly (4%) compared to that of the previous week, with just over 2.9 million new cases," the WHO’s COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update said. The European region accounted for more than half of new weekly cases. Over one week, only this region has recorded an increase in incidence (by 18%), while it decreased in five other regions. The largest decrease in new cases was documented in Africa (by 21%) and the Western Pacific region (by 17%). The mortality has increased by 5% globally over the past seven days. The highest growth was registered in Europe (by 14%) and South-East Asia (by 13%). At the same time, the number of fatalities has significantly decreased in the Western Pacific (by 16%), Eastern Mediterranean (by 13%) and Africa (by 11%).
According to the statistics cited in the document, from October 18 through October 24, some 2,940,336 infections and 49,413 fatalities have been recorded worldwide. The US reported the highest number of weekly infections (512,956), followed by the UK (330,465), Russia (248,956), Turkey (196,850) and Ukraine (134,235).
According to the document, the rapid spread of the coronavirus Delta variant has continued over the past three months. "In almost all countries in which Delta has been reported, it has replaced all other variants including other Variants of Concern (VOCs), quickly becoming the dominant circulating variant," the WHO stated. Specialists also classify the Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants as VOCs.
The experts also noted an increase in the number of coronavirus infections among those under 24 years of age, particularly in Europe and the Western Pacific. It is emphasized that this trend may be due to the fact that older age groups most likely have already been vaccinated while younger people are more likely to have more contacts, particularly during face-to-face learning which increases the risk of the infection. At the same time, the document notes that "overall rates of infection and severe disease remain relatively low among children and young adults."
According to the WHO, as of October 26, some 243,857,028 people have been infected worldwide and 4,953,246 deaths have been reported. Over the past 24 hours, 295,432 infections and 5,469 fatalities have been reported.
