Record 1.35 million cases registered worldwide in 24 hours
Geneva, Dec 30 (EFE).- A record 1.35 million Covid-19 infections were registered worldwide in the past 24 hours, 40% higher than the previous record, according to provisional figures from the World Health Organization on Thursday.
The sharp increase appears to be linked to the spread of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, which is considerably more contagious than the Delta strain, although the WHO said Wednesday that it is the combination of the two that is causing the current “tsunami of cases.”
This is the fourth global wave of the pandemic this year, following peaks in January, April and August, although the current wave is the first in 2021 not to lead to a significant spike in Covid-related deaths, a likely consequence of much higher vaccination rates in many countries where Omicron is spreading.
Daily deaths currently range between 4,000 and 8,000 globally, a curve that has been stable since the beginning of October. EFE
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