Weekly COVID-19 Epidemiological Update: Issue 32 (13 September 2022)

Abstract

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and up to September 13, 2022, a cumulative total of approximately 606 million COVID-19 cases including about 6.5 million deaths were reported from all six WHO regions. During epidemiological week (EW) 36, COVID-19 cases decreased in all six WHO regions (range: -36.1 - -14.2%), and COVID-19 deaths decreased in all (range: -30.5 - -10.1%) but one region – AFRO (9.6% increase). Globally, approximately 3,137,743 new COVID-19 cases were reported in EW 36 (September 04, 2022-September 10, 2022) - a 27.6% decrease compared to EW 35 (August 28, 2022- September 03, 2022) (Figure 1). For the same period, 10,993 new COVID-19 deaths were reported globally – a 21.2% relative decrease compared the previous week. In the region of the Americas, 613,014 cases and 4,041 deaths were reported in EW 36 - a - 26.5% decrease in cases and -21.6% decrease in deaths compared to the previous week. At the subregional level, COVID-19 cases decreased all four subregions (range: -46.4 - -11.7%). Deaths increased in one subregion – Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean Islands (14.7%) – while the remaining three subregions reported a decline in weekly deaths (range: -24.3 - -21.7%). The overall weekly case notification rate for the region of the Americas was 59.9 cases per 100,000 population during EW 36 (81.5 the previous week). Between EW 36 and 35, the 14-day. COVID-19 death rate was 9 deaths per 1 million population (10.5 the previous two weeks). Among 30 countries/territories in the region with available data, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in 4 countries and territories (range: 14% - 133.3%) during EW 36 compared to the previous week. Among 24 countries and territories with available data, COVID-19 ICU admissions increased in 5 countries and territories (range: 12.5% - 150%).