Geneva: New cases in India increased by 21 per cent in the week ending February 28, 2021, and the country returned to list of top five countries with highest incidence of fresh Corona cases, the World Health Organisation’s latest COVID-19 Weekly Epidemiological Update report released last night (IST), released last night (IST) revealed. During this period, India also saw 749 new Covid-related deaths — a 14% increase from the previous week.
The five countries reporting the highest number of new cases last week were the United States of America (472 904 new cases, a 2% decrease), Brazil (373 954 new cases, a 18% increase), France (149 959 new cases, a 14% increase), and Italy (112 029 new cases, an 32% increase), besides India (105 080 new cases, a 21% increase).
Globally, over 2.6 million new cases were reported last week (as of February 28, 2021), a 7% increase compared to the previous week. There were increases in the Eastern Mediterranean (14%), South-East Asia (9%), Europe (9%) and the Americas (6%).
The possible reasons for the recent global increase in the COVID-19 cases after six consecutive weeks of declining numbers could be, according to the WHO, the continued spread of more transmissible Variants Of Concern (VOCs), relaxation of public health and social measures (PHSM) and fatigue around adhering to PSHM measures.
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The WHO stated that there has been an increased number of reports of variants which are of concern. Many countries across all six WHO regions have started to report increases in new cases of COVID-19 in the past month, and it was difficult to ascertain the exact proportion of all new cases which may be attributable to Variants Of Interest (VOIs) and VOCs.
“Basic public health measures remain the foundation of the response. For public health authorities, that means testing, contact tracing, isolation, supported quarantine and quality care. For individuals, it means avoiding crowds, physical distancing, hand hygiene, masks and ventilation,” the WHO stated.
It warned that immunity conferred by vaccination takes weeks at the individual level, and it may take longer to observe impacts at the population-level.
Significantly the number of global new deaths continues to decrease. Over 63 000 new deaths were reported last week – a 6% decrease as compared to the previous week.
Although the Americas region of the WHO reported over 1.1 million new cases and nearly 34 000 deaths, which accounted for 42% of global cases and 53% of global deaths, yet, in real terms, new deaths decreased in Europe, Africa, the Western Pacific, and the Americas by 15%, 19%, 35% and 1%, respectively.
In sharp contrast, the WHO’s South-East Asia region, of which India is a part, the new death figures saw a 47% increase as compared to the previous week — the highest among all WHO regions — partly due to retrospective reporting of deaths from Nepal. In the region, the three countries reporting the highest numbers of new deaths this week were Indonesia (1665 new deaths; 0.6 new deaths per 100 000; a 21% increase), India (749 new deaths; 0.1 new deaths per 100 000; a 14% increase) and Nepal (712 new deaths; 2.4 new deaths per 100 000†). So far as new cases were concerned, the three countries reporting the highest numbers of new cases from the region were India (105 080 new cases; 7.6 new cases per 100 000; a 21% increase), Indonesia (57 721 new cases; 21.2 new cases per 100 000; a 5% decrease) and Sri Lanka (3410 new cases; 15.9 new cases per 100 000; a 26% decrease)
With over 207 000 new cases reported, the Eastern Mediterranean Region showed a 14% increase compared to last week. The region reported over 2500 new deaths, a 5% increase. Across the region 14 of 22 (64%) countries reported increases in new cases and 8 of 22 (36%) declined this week. New deaths rose in 13 of 22 countries (59%) and fell in 7 of 22 (32%). In the region, the three countries reporting the highest numbers of new cases this week were the Islamic Republic of Iran (57 078 new cases; 68 new cases per 100 000 population; a 3% increase), Iraq (27 491 new cases; 68.3 new cases per 100 000; a 19% increase) and Jordan (26 685 new cases; 261.5 new cases per 100 000; a 78% increase).
– global bihari bureau
