Weekly COVID-19 Epidemiological Update: Issue 41 (15 November 2022)

Abstract

Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 and up to November 15, 2022, a cumulative total of approximately 632 million COVID-19 cases including about 6.6 million deaths were reported from all six WHO regions. During epidemiological week (EW) 45, cases decreased in three regions while they increased in AMRO (17.2%), WPRO (15.5%) and SEARO (15%). COVID-19 deaths decreased in four regions while they increased in WPRO (13.9%) and EMRO (7%). Globally, approximately 2,342,510 new COVID-19 cases were reported in EW 45 (November 06, 2022-November 12, 2022) – a 1.8% increase compared to EW 44 (October 30, 2022- November 05, 2022) (Figure 1). For the same period, 7,774 new COVID-19 deaths were reported globally – a -27.5% relative decrease compared the previous week. In the region of the Americas, 438,698 cases and 3,366 deaths were reported in EW 45 - a 17.2% increase in cases and -2.2% decrease in deaths compared to the previous week. At the subregional level, COVID-19 cases increased in all four subregions (range: 4.9 – 66.8%). Deaths increased in two subregions – South America (17.2%) and Central America (6.7%), while the remaining two subregions reported a decline – North America (-6%) and the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean islands (-15.8%). The overall weekly case notification rate for the region of the Americas was 42.9 cases per 100,000 population during EW 45 (36.6 the previous week). Between EW 45 and 44, the 14- day COVID-19 death rate was 6.7 deaths per 1 million population (7.6 the previous two weeks). Among 27 countries/territories in the region with available data, COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in 6 countries and territories (range: 1% - 150%) during EW 45 compared to the previous week. Among 20 countries and territories with available data, COVID-19 ICU admissions increased in 5 countries and territories (range: 1% - 600%).