COVID-19 epidemiological update – 9 October 2024

Overview

During the four-week reporting period from 19 August to 15 September 2024, weekly SARS-CoV-2 PCR percent test positivity decreased from 8.2% in the beginning week of the reporting period to 5.8% 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 16 209 specimens across 89 countries that reported at least once were tested for SARS-CoV-2 each week.

WHO is currently tracking several SARS-CoV-2 variants; two variants of interest (VOIs): BA.2.86 and JN.1; and seven variants under monitoring (VUMs): JN.1.7, JN.1.18, KP.2, KP.3, KP.3.1.1, LB.1, and XEC. As of 24 September 2024, a new variant named XEC, which is a recombinant of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, has been classified as a VUM. Globally, JN.1 is the most reported variant of interest (VOI), now reported by 140 countries, accounting for 16.0% of sequences in week 37, having declined from a prevalence of 19.4% in week 34. SARS-CoV-2 variants KP.3.1.1 and XEC (a recently listed VUMs) are showing increasing prevalence globally, albeit at different rates while all the remaining are declining. KP.3.1.1 accounted for 46.6% of the sequences shared in week 37 compared to 36.6% in week 34 while XEC accounted for 4.8% in week 37 compared to 2.0% in week 34. KP.3 accounted for 14.4% of sequences in week 37 compared to 18.8% in week 34, KP.2 accounted for 8.1% of sequences in week 37 compared to 12.0% in week 34, JN.1.7 accounted for 0.1% in weeks 34 and 37, JN.1.18 accounted for 1.2% of sequences in week 37 compared to 2.3% in week 34, LB.1 accounted for 6.3% in week 37 compared to 6.9% in week 34.

Globally, during the 28-day period (19 August to 15 September 2024), the number of new cases and deaths increased by 10% and 11% compared to the previous 28-day period (22 July to 18 August 2024), with 270 000 new cases reported across 89 (38%) countries and about 5700 new fatalities reported across 31 (13%) countries, respectively. As of 15 September 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, 42 and 31 countries provided data at least once on COVID-19 hospitalizations and admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU), respectively. From the available data, about 27 000 new hospitalizations and more than 1200 new ICU admissions were reported. Among the countries reporting these data consistently over the past and previous reporting period, there was an increase of 14% and 52% in new hospitalizations and new ICU admissions.

On 23 September 2024, WHO published the latest COVID-19 Vaccination Insights Report for quarter two (April-June) 2024. Globally, 16.6 million individuals (+6.4 million during quarter 2) have received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine across 79 reporting Member States (MS), containing 22% of the global population, in quarters 1 and 2. Among older adults, 9.4 million individuals (+5.4 million in quarter 2) received a dose across the 63 MS reporting on uptake in this group, corresponding to an uptake rate of 0.81% so far this year. Data collection for quarter three (July-September) will open on 15 October 2024.

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).