WHO - The number of new corona infections in the world leveled off

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

世界の新型コロナ新規感染者数、横ばい傾向か　ＷＨＯ

2021.08.25 Wed posted at 19:00 JST

 （ＣＮＮ） 世界保健機関（ＷＨＯ）は２３日、世界の新型コロナウイルス感染状況に関する最新の報告書を発表し、新規感染者数の合計が増加から横ばいに転じているとの見方を示した。

ＷＨＯの集計によると、先週世界で確認された新規感染者は４５０万人あまりで、死者は約６万８０００人。前週の新規感染者約４４０万人、死者約６万６０００人からは微増にとどまった。

累計の感染者数は２億１１００万人、死者は４４０万人を超えた。

世界の感染者は５月にいったん横ばいとなったが、ここ２カ月は多くの国で感染力の強いデルタ変異株が広がり、急増傾向が続いていた。

先週報告された新規感染者が最も多かったのは米国の１０２万人で、前の週より１５％増加した。２位以下にはイラン、インド、英国、ブラジルが続いている。

新規感染者の増加率はオーストラリアを含む西太平洋地域が２０％で最も大きく、２位が南北アメリカの８％。東南アジアと地中海東部では減少していた。

オーストラリアでは先週、１日の新規感染者数が過去最多記録の更新を繰り返し、昨年８月のピークを超えた。

ニュージーランドは感染者が１人見つかったことを受けて全国にロックダウン（都市封鎖）措置を導入したが、２５日までに計２１０人の感染が確認されている。

ＷＨＯは報告書の中で、デルタ株などの登場により、ワクチン普及の必要性と感染対策を維持することの重要性が浮き彫りになったと指摘。英イングランドで最近、行動制限の解除を遅らせれば１日当たりの入院患者数のピークを３分の１近くまで減らせるというモデル研究が報告されたことを挙げ、制限解除はワクチン接種率や変異株の感染状況をみながら慎重に進めるべきだと強調した。

Translation

(CNN) The World Health Organization (WHO) on the 23rd released the latest report on the status of coronavirus infection in the world, saying that the total number of newly infected people had leveled off from an increase.

According to WHO data, more than 4.5 million new infections were confirmed worldwide last week, with about 68,000 dead. It increased only slightly from about 4.4 million newly infected people and about 66,000 dead last week.

The cumulative number of infected people had exceeded 211 million and the death toll has exceeded 4.4 million.

While the number of infected people in the world leveled off in May, the number of highly infectious Delta mutants had spread in many countries over the past two months, and the number was continuing to increase rapidly.

The highest number of new cases reported last week was 1.02 million in the United States, up 15% from the previous week. Following in the second place and down were Iran, India, the United Kingdom and Brazil.

The rate of increase in new infections was the highest in the western Pacific region, including Australia at 20%, and followed by 8% in the Americas. It was decreasing in Southeast Asia and the eastern Mediterranean.

In Australia, the number of new infections per day hit a record high last week, surpassing its peak in August last year.

New Zealand had introduced lockdown measures nationwide following the discovery of one infected person. Yet by the 25th a total of 210 people had been confirmed infected.

In a report, WHO pointed out that the appearance of Delta strains and other strains highlighted the need for vaccine dissemination and the importance of maintaining infection control measures. In England, a model study recently reported that delaying the lifting of movement restrictions could reduce the peak number of hospitalized patients per day to nearly one-third. It emphasized that the lifting of restrictions should be carried out carefully with reference to the vaccination rate and the infection status of mutant strains.

              So, the World Health Organization (WHO) releases the latest report on the status of coronavirus infection, saying that the total number of newly infected people has leveled off. I am wondering when will be the time for this number go down.