Global COVID cases rising as waste water tests indicate under-reporting

Latest global COVID snapshot shows rising cases, drop in deaths Mateescu Mugur/iStock CIDRAP

Over the past month, global COVID-19 cases rose slightly, with a steady drop in deaths from the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in its latest monthly update.

However, the group cautioned about interpreting the data, given that less than half of countries reported their COVID metrics during the latest reporting period, which covers December 11, 2023, to January 7.

"According to estimates obtained from wastewater surveillance, clinical detection of cases underestimates the real burden from 2 to 19-fold," the WHO said.

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