Surge in Global Covid Cases Linked to New Subvariant Rise

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported an 80% increase in new COVID-19 cases worldwide in the last month, despite reduced testing. The number of deaths, however, fell by 57%. The WHO warned that the reported numbers do not reflect the true extent of the pandemic due to decreased testing. The Western Pacific region saw a 137% increase in infections. Experts attribute the rise in cases to summer gatherings, travel, declining immunity, and a new subvariant, Omicron EG.5, which has been designated as a "variant of interest" by the WHO. While EG.5 is more transmissible, it poses a low risk to global public health. The WHO emphasized the need for increased vaccination efforts and pharmaceutical companies are working on updating vaccines to target XBB subvariants.