Weekly COVID-19 Epidemiological Update: Issue 17 (1 June 2022) 

Abstract

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and up to June 1, 2022, a cumulative total of approximately 527 million COVID-19 cases including nearly 6.3 million deaths were reported from all six WHO regions. During the epidemiological week (EW) 21, cases increased in the regions of Europe (1.4%) and the Americas (10.3%) while they decreased in the remaining four WHO regions. COVID-19 deaths increased in the regions of Africa (15.2%), the Americas (14.2%), and Western Pacific (18.3%) while they decreased in the remaining three WHO regions.

Globally, approximately 3,331,171 new COVID-19 cases were reported in epidemiological week (EW) 21 (May 22, 2022-May 28, 2022) - a -11.4% decrease compared to EW 20 (May 15, 2022- May 21, 2022) (Figure 1). For the same period, 9,635 new COVID-19 deaths were reported globally – a 2 % relative decrease compared to the previous week.

In the region of the Americas, 1,087,197 cases including 4,159 deaths were reported in EW 21 - a 10.3 % and 14.2 % increase in cases and deaths respectively compared to the previous week.

At the subregional level, COVID-19 cases and deaths increased in all subregions (range: cases; 2.9-43.1%, deaths; 14.1-21.3% increase) with the exception of the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean Islands, where there was a decrease in cases (8.9%) and no change in deaths (0%).

The overall weekly case notification rate for the region of the Americas was 106.3 cases per 100,000 population during EW 21 (96.3 the previous week). Between EW 21 and 20, the 14-day COVID-19 death rate was 7.6 deaths per 1 million population (7.1 the previous two weeks).

Among 32 countries/territories in the region with available data, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in 11 countries/territories (range: 0.1% - 119.4%) during EW 21 compared to the previous week. Among 28 countries/territories with available data, weekly COVID-19 ICU admissions increased in 11 countries/territories (range: 2.6% - 900%).