The Overseas Situation Report Friday 4 February 2022
by Mike Evans
If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress.
– Barack Obama
As this report is written at the end of the first month of 2022, I have dedicated this particular report to the latest situation report from the World Health Organisation which details the situation across the world up to the end of January 2022. The reports which come out weekly show a detailed breakdown of each region in the world where the pandemic is prevalent and compares the current situation with a week previous.
Globally, during the week of 24 to 30 January 2022, the number of new COVID-19 cases remained similar to the number reported during the previous week, while the number of new deaths increased by 9%. Across the six WHO regions, over 22 million new cases and over 59 000 new deaths were reported. As of 30 January 2022, over 370 million confirmed cases and over 5.6 million deaths have been reported globally.
At the Regional level, increases in the number of new cases were reported by the Western Pacific (37%) the Eastern Mediterranean (24%) and the European (7%) Regions, while decreases were reported by the Region of the Americas (20%) and the South-East Asia Region (8%). The number of new cases reported in the African Region remained similar to that of the previous week.
The number of new weekly deaths continued to increase in the South-East Asia Region (41%), the Eastern Mediterranean Region (32%) and the Region of the Americas (16%), while the African Region reported a decrease of 7%. The incidence of deaths remained similar to the previous week in the European and the Western Pacific regions.
At the country level, the highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States of America (3 279 226 new cases; a 34% decrease), France (2 357 129 new cases; similar to the previous week’s figures), India (1 855 258 new cases; a 12% decrease), Brazil (1 283 024 new cases; a 56% increase), and Germany (1 055 768 new cases; a 48% increase). The highest number of new deaths were reported from the United States of America (13 558 new deaths; a 5% decrease), India (4682 new deaths; a 40% increase), the Russian Federation (4616 new deaths; like the previous week), Brazil (3321 new deaths; an 88% increase) and Italy (2618 new deaths; a 7% increase).
In the Africa Region there were over 125 000 new cases, like the number reported during the previous week. This follows on from a decreasing trend in new cases that has been observed for over a month. However, six countries (12%) reported increases of 20% or greater, with the highest increases reported from the Central African Republic (410 vs 190 new cases, a 116% increase), Lesotho (277 vs 165 new cases, a 68% increase) and Algeria.
The highest numbers of new cases continued to be reported from Réunion (46 914 new cases; 5240.0 new cases per 100 000 population; a 49% increase), South Africa (22 202 new cases; 37.4 new cases per 100 000; similar to the previous week’s figures), and Algeria (14 774 new cases; 33.7 new cases per 100 000; a 63% increase).
The number of new weekly deaths continued to decline in the Region with over 1600 new deaths reported, a 7% decrease as compared to the previous week. The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from South Africa (842 new deaths.
Since mid-January 2022, the Region of the Americas has continued to report a decrease in the number of new cases, with over 6.5 million cases reported this week, a 20% decrease as compared to the previous week.
Only four countries reported increases of 20% or greater including: the Falkland Islands (3 vs 1 new case, a 200% increase), Chile (157 937 vs 82 574 new cases, a 91% increase), El Salvador (6250 vs 3435 new cases, an 82% increase) and Brazil. The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the United States of America (3 279 226 new cases; 990.7 new cases per 100 000; a 34% decrease), Brazil (1 283 024 new cases; 603.6 new cases per 100 000; a 56% increase), and Argentina (619 108 new cases; 1369.8 new cases per 100 000; a 19% decrease).
Over 26,000 new weekly deaths were reported in the Region, corresponding to a 16% increase as compared to the previous week. The highest numbers of new deaths continued to be reported from the United States of America (13 558 new deaths.)
Since the end of December 2021, the Eastern Mediterranean Region reported a continued increase in new cases. During the last week, over 596 000 new cases were reported, a 24% increase as compared to the previous week. Over half of the countries (13/22, 59%) reported increases of 20% or greater, with the highest increases reported from the occupied Palestinian territory (33 080 vs 7293 new cases; 354% increase), the Islamic Republic of Iran and Libya (16 399 vs 6692 new cases; a 145% increase).
The highest numbers of new cases were reported from the Islamic Republic of Iran (76 837 new cases; 91.5 new cases per 100 000; a 189% increase), Jordan (63 153 new cases; 619.0 new cases per 100 000; a 72% increase), and Tunisia (54 346 new cases; 459.8 new cases per 100 000; an 18% decrease). Over 1600 new weekly deaths were reported in the Region, a 32% increase as compared to the previous week.
The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from Tunisia (275 new deaths; 2.3 new deaths per 100 000; a 55% increase).
Since mid-December 2021, the number of new cases has continued to rise in the European Region, with the Region reporting over 11.4 million new cases this week, a 7% increase as compared to the previous week. Twenty-three countries (38%) reported an increase greater than 20%, with the highest increases reported from Armenia (14 722 vs 4094 new cases; a 260% increase), Azerbaijan (19 307 vs 7116 new cases; a 171% increase), and Tajikistan (143 vs 59 new cases; a 142% increase).
The highest numbers of new cases were reported from France (2 357 129 new cases; 3624.2 new cases per 100 000; similar to the previous week’s figures), Germany (1 055 768 new cases; 1269.5 new cases per 100 000; a 48% increase), and Italy (1 040 184 new cases; 1744.1 new cases per 100 000; a 16% decrease). The number of weekly deaths in the Region remained similar to that of the previous week with over 21 000 reported.
The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from the Russian Federation (4616 new deaths; 3.2 new deaths per 100 000; similar to the previous week’s figures), Italy (2618 new deaths; 4.4 new deaths per 100 000; a 7% increase), and France (1881 new deaths; 2.9 new deaths per 100 000; a 19% increase).
Following an increase in the number of new cases over the past month, the number of new cases in the South-East Asia Region decreased, with over 2.1 million new cases reported this week, an 8% decrease as compared to the previous week. However, seven out of ten countries in the region reported an increase greater than 20% in the number of new weekly cases, with the largest increases reported from Timor-Leste (69 vs 5 new cases; a 1280% increase), Indonesia and Bangladesh.
The highest numbers of new cases were reported from India (1,855, 258 new cases; 134.4 new cases per 100 000; a 12% decrease), Bangladesh (100 196 new cases; 60.8 new cases per 100 000; a 49% increase), and Indonesia (56 807 new cases; 20.8 new cases per 100 000; a 286% increase). The number of new deaths in the Region increased by 41% as compared to the previous week, with over 5200 new deaths reported.
The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from India (4682 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 40% increase).
The number of new cases in Western Pacific Region increased by 37% as compared to the previous week, with over 1.4 million new cases reported. Half of the countries in the Region reported increases of over 20% in new cases, with the highest proportional increases reported from Papua New Guinea (339 vs 81 new cases; a 319% increase), Kiribati (142 vs 39 new cases; a 264% increase) and Palau (1021 vs 319, a 220% increase).
The highest numbers of new cases continued to be reported from Australia (499 935 new cases; 1960.5 new cases per 100 000; a 65% increase), Japan (463 354 new cases; 366.4 new cases per 100 000; a 73% increase), and the Philippines (141 339 new cases; 129.0 new cases per 100 000; a 36% decrease).
The number of new weekly deaths in the Region remained similar to that of the previous week, with over 2500 new deaths reported. The highest numbers of new deaths were reported from Viet Nam (951 new deaths; 1.0 new death per 100 000; an 15% decrease), Australia (565 new deaths; 2.2 new deaths per 100 000; a 31% increase) and the Philippines (465 new deaths; <1 new death per 100 000; a 15% decrease).
It is plain to see that whilst the figures are decreasing across the Globe we are still a fair way away from declaring this pandemic over so until the next time Stay Safe.
Total Cases Worldwide – 386,249,480
Total Deaths Worldwide – 5,721,616
Total Recovered Worldwide – 305,939,021
Total Active Cases Worldwide – 74,588,843 (19.3% of the total cases)
Total Closed Cases Worldwide – 311,660,637
Information and Resources:
https://www.worldometer.info/coronavirus/
https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-epidemiological-update-on-covid-19—1-february-2022