Weekly COVID-19 Epidemiological Update: Issue 33 (20 September 2022)

Abstract

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and up to September 20, 2022, a cumulative total of 609 million COVID-19 cases including 6.5 million deaths were reported from all six WHO regions. During the epidemiological week (EW) 37, COVID-19 cases decreased in four regions (range: -35.7 - -1% decrease) while they increased in WPRO (3.1%) and EURO (2.1%). COVID-19 deaths decreased in all six WHO regions (range: -46.4 - -5.7% decrease). Globally, approximately 3,271,110 new COVID-19 cases were reported in EW 37 (September 11, 2022-September 17, 2022) - a -0.7% decrease compared to EW 36 (September 04, 2022- September 10, 2022) (Figure 1). For the same period, 9,917 new COVID-19 deaths were reported globally – a -17.1% relative decrease compared the previous week. In the region of the Americas, 552,321 cases and 4,037 deaths were reported in EW 37 - a -12.4% decrease in cases and -5.0% decrease in deaths compared to the previous week. At the subregional level, COVID-19 cases decreased in all four subregions (range: -27.2 - - 11.7%). Deaths increased in one subregion – North America (2.7%) – while the remaining three subregions reported a decline in weekly deaths (range: -52.2 - -14.6%). The overall weekly case notification rate for the region of the Americas was 54 cases per 100,000 population during EW 37 (61.6 the previous week). Between EW 37 and 36, the 14- day COVID-19 death rate was 8.1 deaths per 1 million population (9.3 the previous two weeks). Among 31 countries/territories in the region with available data, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in 5 countries and territories (range: 0.3% - 35.1%) during EW 37 compared to the previous week. Among 23 countries and territories with available data, COVID-19 ICU admissions increased in 5 countries and territories (range: 2.3% - 200%).