Weekly epidemiological update on COVID-19 - 24 August 2021

Overview

With over 4.5 million new cases reported this week (16-22 August), the number of new cases reported globally seems to be plateauing after increasing for nearly two months (since mid-June). The Regions of the Americas and Western Pacific reported an increase in new cases in the past week, 8% and 20% respectively. Globally, the number of deaths reported this week remained similar to last week, with over 68 000 new deaths reported. Two Regions, Europe and the Americas, reported an increase in new deaths, 11% and 10% respectively. As of the 22 August, the cumulative number of cases reported globally is now over 211 million and the cumulative number of deaths is just over 4.4 million.

In this edition, one special focus update is provided:

• A detailed description of the phenotypic characteristics (transmissibility, disease severity, and vaccine effectiveness) of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta. It also includes updates on the geographic distribution of VOCs.