| No images? Click here  Tuesday, 24 December 2024 COVID-19 epidemiological update – 24 December 2024Special edition 174 OverviewThis is a special edition of the epidemiological update on COVID-19 that gives an overview of the situation since the disease was first reported to WHO nearly five years ago. SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, largely circulates without clear seasonality and continues to infect, causing severe acute disease and post-COVID-19 condition. The impact varies by country, and WHO's ability to monitor circulation, severity, and virus evolution is challenged by reduced surveillance, testing, sequencing, and limited integration into long-term prevention programs. Changes to COVID-19 surveillance over the past five years have been consistent, but integration is variable across regions. From the start of the pandemic until November 10, 2024, over 776.8 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and over 7 million confirmed deaths were notified to WHO across 234 countries. The majority of COVID-19 associated deaths occurred in 2020, 2021, and 2022, with increased immunity leading to a significant decrease in deaths. For the latest 4 week reporting period, from 14 October to 10 November 2024, 77 countries reported COVID-19 cases and 27 deaths globally. The number of reported cases decreased by 39%, with over 200 000 new cases and 36% of new deaths, compared to the previous 28 days. Overall, ICU admissions per 1000 hospitalizations have been decreasing since the peak in July 2021 when the rate was 245 per 1000 hospitalizations, dropping below 132 per 1000 hospitalizations at the beginning of 2022, and to less than 69 per 1000 hospitalizations by the end of 2023. At the beginning of 2024, there was an increase ICU admissions per 1000 hospitalizations, rising to above 191 per 1000 hospitalizations in March, and declining to 108 per 1000 hospitalizations in early November 2024. Meanwhile, deaths per 1000 hospitalization showed a consistent decline from June 2021 when they reached 253 per 1000 hospitalizations to a low level of 59 per 1000 hospitalizations in August 2023. Since January 2024, the rate has continued to decline reaching 41 deaths per 1000 hospitalizations by early November 2024. Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), called "long COVID" by some, continues to pose a significant burden on health systems, with an estimated 6% of symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections resulting in PCC symptoms. While severe COVID-19 is a significant risk factor for PCC, over 90% of PCC cases arise following mild COVID-19 due to the sheer volume of infections. Vaccination appears to offer a protective effect, reducing the likelihood of developing PCC. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has evolved since 2021, with high-income countries initially having higher vaccination rates. From January 2024, WHO shifted from measuring "continuous" COVID-19 vaccination coverage since the start of the vaccine rollout to measuring annual uptake. Using the new monitoring approach, as of the end of the third quarter of 2024, 39.2 million people in 90 Member States (representing 31% of the global population) received a dose this year, with 14.8 million in quarter three alone. In this special edition, we include:
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