WHO: The corona numbers in the northern hemisphere are increasing – hospitals are filling up Meret Schneider is back on X: ‘It’s so nice how many are behind me’

The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted an increase in the number of deaths and hospital stays due to Corona in several regions.

“In the run-up to the northern hemisphere winter season, we continue to see worrying Covid-19 trends,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva on Wednesday.

In the colder months, people run a greater risk of infection, partly because they spend more time indoors, explains Maria Van Kerkhove, the top corona expert at the WHO. According to the UN organization, deaths are increasing in parts of the Middle East and Asia.

Renew vaccinations

There are more hospital admissions in the Americas, in Europe and in Asia. “We estimate that hundreds of thousands of people are currently being treated in hospitals for Corona,” said Van Kerkhove.

Tedros and Van Kerkhove called on the elderly and other risk groups to receive booster shots if necessary. According to Van Kerkhove, current vaccines protect against serious illness and death, even if they are infected with newer virus variants.

According to the WHO expert, only 42 cases from 11 countries have been registered worldwide for variant BA.2.86, which has been under special supervision by the WHO since mid-August.

(sda/dpa)