The head of the U.N. health agency said Wednesday holiday gatherings and the spread of the most prominent variant globally led to increased transmission of COVID-19 last month.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said nearly 10,000 deaths were reported in December, while hospital admissions during the month jumped 42% in nearly 50 countries — mostly in Europe and the Americas — that shared such trend information.

“Although 10,000 deaths a month is far less than the peak of the pandemic, this level of preventable deaths is not acceptable,” the World Health Organization director-general told reporters from its headquarters in Geneva.

He said it was “certain” that cases were on the rise in other places that haven’t been reporting, calling on governments to keep up surveillance and provide continued access to treatments and vaccines.

    • Kalkaline
      link
      fedilink
      English
      385 months ago

      Wear a mask especially if you “just have allergies” or “it’s just a little cold” or even better stay home.

      • DevopsPalmer
        link
        fedilink
        English
        55 months ago

        Fucking this, I hate having to come into work and coworkers are all coughing and sneezing with “just a cold”. Have we learned nothing!?