COVID-19: 775m cases confirmed since inception, says WHO

Routine blood tests not reliable for diagnosing long COVID, study finds

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said as of July 21, 2024, over 775 million confirmed cases and more than seven million deaths from COVID-19 have been reported globally since the pandemic began.

This was announced in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja. “Globally, during the 28-day period (24 June to 21 July), the number of new cases and deaths increased by 30 per cent and 26 per cent, respectively.

“Compared to the previous 28-day period (27 May to 23 June), with more than 186,000 new cases reported across 96 (41per cent) countries and over 2,800 new fatalities reported across 35 (15 per cent) countries.

“As of July 21, more than 775 million confirmed cases and more than seven million deaths have been reported globally since the start of the pandemic,” it said.

During the same period, 46 and 35 countries provided data at least once on COVID-19 hospitalisations and admissions to an intensive care unit (ICU).

From the data, over 23,000 new hospitalisations and more than 600 new ICU admissions were reported.

“Among the countries reporting these data consistently over the current and past reporting period, there was an overall increase of 11 per cent and 3 per cent in new hospitalisations and new ICU admissions.”

Meanwhile, current routine blood tests are not a reliable way of diagnosing long COVID, according to a new study. The researchers, who published their findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine journal, examined if a COVID-19 infection led to changes in routine blood biomarkers, such as platelet counts or protein in the urine, that may be predictive of long COVID.

“Our challenge is to discover biomarkers that can quickly and accurately diagnose long COVID to ensure people struggling with this disease receive the most appropriate care as soon as possible,” said Dr. David Goff, director for cardiovascular sciences at the NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, in a statement.

“Long COVID symptoms can prevent someone from returning to work or school, and may even make everyday tasks a burden, so the ability for rapid diagnosis is key,” the statement continued.