-title COVID-19 Surveillance: Tracking Infections and Emerging Variants
COVID-19 Cases Rise Globally with New Variants in Circulation
Geneva, switzerland – COVID-19 is experiencing a resurgence worldwide, prompting renewed monitoring of viral spread and variant evolution. While surveillance is less comprehensive than during the height of the pandemic, health officials are tracking hospitalizations and utilizing wastewater analysis to assess the current situation.
Currently, the most prevalent variants are XFG, also known as Stratus or the ‘Frankenstein variant,’ and NB.1.8.1, dubbed Nimbus. According to Maria Van Kerkhove, Stratus accounts for 76% of reported cases and is dominant in Europe and the Americas. Nimbus is the leading variant in the Western Pacific region, representing 15% of cases.
“Hospital-based surveillance is what we’re mostly doing. But we also have wastewater surveillance,which is quite a useful indicator of what’s happening in the community,” explains Ho.
Both Stratus and Nimbus share symptoms with previous variants – including fever, cough, and runny nose – but Nimbus has been associated with a distinct symptom: a severe ‘razor blade’ sore throat. as of September 4th, both variants are listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “currently circulating COVID-19 variants under monitoring.”
However, complete data on viral circulation remains elusive. Fewer than 35 countries currently report COVID-19 hospitalization data to the WHO, highlighting gaps in global surveillance. “That’s why we’re trying to make sure that countries are still doing sequencing,” Van Kerkhove stated. despite these limitations, she affirmed that existing data are “sufficient to provide details to governments related to the effectiveness of vaccines.”
Current vaccination campaigns primarily target individuals over 65 in the US,and those aged 75 or older in the UK and parts of Europe,and also individuals with weakened immune systems over 6 months of age. Epidemiologist Michael Head of the University of Southampton, UK, advocates for broader vaccine distribution. “It’s still not a pleasant infection, and vaccines do still have a important public-health benefit, so they are a vital tool in addressing the threat posed by COVID-19.”