In December, nearly 10,000 fatalities occurred due to COVID-19 across approximately 50 countries, primarily in Europe and the Americas, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
The organization reported a 42% increase in hospital admissions during the same period. The surge is attributed to holiday gatherings and the spread of the latest COVID-19 variant.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that although COVID-19 is no longer classified as a global health emergency, the virus continues to circulate and pose a lethal threat. He highlighted increasing transmission in December, fueled by holiday gatherings and the prevalence of the JN.1 variant, now the most commonly reported globally.