COVID-19 epidemiological update – 17 September 2024

Overview

During the four-week reporting period from 22 July to 18 August 2024, weekly SARS-CoV-2 PCR percent test positivity decreased from 12.4% in the beginning week of the reporting period to 10.2% in the last week, as detected in integrated sentinel surveillance within the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS). During this period, an average of 17 435 specimens across 88 countries were tested for SARS-CoV-2 each week.

Globally, JN.1 is the most reported variant of interest (VOI), now reported by 139 countries, accounting for 20.6% of sequences in week 33, having declined from a prevalence of 22.2% in week 30.  KP.3.1.1 (a descendent lineage of JN.1 and a variant of interest or VUM) is showing increasing prevalence while LB.1 and JN.1.18 both also descendent lineages of JN.1 and VUMs, are showing stable prevalence globally. KP.3.1.1 accounted for 29.1% of the sequences shared in week 33 compared to 21.2% in week 30 while LB.1 and JN.1.18 accounted for 8.8% and 2.7% of sequences in week 33 compared to 8.8% and 2.2% in week 30, respectively.

Globally, during the 28-day period (22 July to 18 August 2024), the number of new cases and deaths increased by 23% and 44% compared to the previous 28-day period (24 June to 18 August 2024), with 238 000 new cases reported across 91 (39%) countries and about 4400 new fatalities reported across 35 (15%) countries, respectively. As of 22 July to 18 August 2024, over 776 million confirmed cases and more than seven million deaths have been reported globally since the beginning of pandemic. 

During the same period, 45 and 32 countries provided data at least once on COVID-19 hospitalizations and admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU), respectively. From the available data, over 27 000 new hospitalizations and about 860 new ICU admissions were reported.  Among the countries reporting these data consistently over the past and previous reporting period, there was a marginal decrease of 3% in new hospitalizations and a 36% increase in new ICU admissions.

In this edition, we include: 

• SARS-CoV-2 test positivity trends at the global and regional levels
• The COVID-19 morbidity and mortality update at the global and regional levels. 
• An update on hospitalizations and ICU admissions. 
• An update on the SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest (VOI) and variants under monitoring (VUM).