Much of Latin America is recording a recovery in Covid-19 cases after the end-of-year celebrations, while the situation in Brazil and Mexico appears to be under control. That’s why the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the coronavirus continues to ‘mutate’. and kill,” so we must not let our guard down.

In the last months of 2023, the presence of a new variant, JN.1., was detected, which is more easily transmitted because it is more resistant to the immune systems of people who contract the disease.

Between the first and second week of 2024, both the WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended resuming the use of face masks or respirators in enclosed spaces, especially in hospitals and clinics. covid or other respiratory diseases.

While it is true that the impact of the coronavirus has currently subsided, health authorities have urged several governments to take other measures, such as strengthening vaccination, so that cases do not escalate, something that is no longer happening in most countries.

“The new variants of Covid, such as Omicrom or JN.1., are considered interesting because of the changes in the behavior of the virus and the impact on people’s health,” a WHO source told EFE.

And he reiterated this week’s call from WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus for preventive measures against a disease that “although it no longer represents an international emergency, continues to circulate, mutate and kill.”

Globally, hospital admissions increased by 42% and the number of patients admitted to intensive care by 68%.

In the United States, several hospitals have again mandated the use of masks due to the increase in infections due to Covid 19, flu and other respiratory diseases.

However, the increase in infections is difficult to measure in the United States because many states have stopped collecting data and the only organization that continues to publish figures is the CDC, which points out that four years after Covid arrived in the country, hundreds of people are still dying every week.

According to the CDC, 1,614 deaths from Covid were recorded in the week of December 9, 2023, the last with complete data. With complete data, there has been an average of about 1,488 deaths per week in recent weeks. While these death tolls remain high, they are lower than the record 25,974 deaths recorded in the week ending January 9, 2021.

On the other hand, the flu was the leading cause of 163 deaths in the week ending December 9, 2023, according to the CDC.

Covid-19 infections skyrocketed in the Dominican Republic last week with 793 cases, 541 more than the previous week, the highest number reported in recent months.

National Director of Epidemiology Ronald Skewes stressed the importance of wearing masks in closed and crowded places, washing hands regularly and continuing vaccination against the disease.

In Bolivia, infections have increased by 130% from the end of 2023 to date, so in cities like La Paz, the seat of government, the use of face masks has resumed and there has been a greater influx of people at vaccination points seeking a booster. vaccines against covid.

Street vaccination stations have been set up throughout the country and vaccination campaigns are also being conducted in prisons.

On December 29, Paraguay’s Ministry of Health issued an alert to technical teams and health personnel about the increase in coronavirus circulation, consultations for influenza and hospitalizations for acute respiratory infections.

Between December 31 and January 6, corresponding to the first epidemiological week of 2024, 1,048 cases of Covid-19 were recorded, 4 deaths and 129 hospitalized patients.

Since the beginning of 2024, 15 people have died from Covid-19 in Peru, so authorities have reiterated the need to get vaccinated again and maintain prevention measures, but they have not adopted stricter policies such as the mandatory use of masks.

According to the government, the number of deaths shows “figures that are statistically expected and occur year after year” and despite the increase in infections and deaths, it believes that the country is not facing “a sixth wave” of the disease, that Peru is the country with the highest mortality rate in the world.

In Colombia, National Institute of Health (INS) director Giovanny Rubiano said that “even with the spread” of the new variants in the country “there is no increased severity of the disease, nor increased hospitalizations or deaths.”

He recalled that the country is recording the expected increase in the number of cases of respiratory infections that normally occur in the last quarter of the year and which increase in the period December and January due to the greater social interaction during the holidays, climatic phenomena and the influx of respiratory infections. of travelers from Europe and the United States.

For its part, the Cuban Ministry of Health has recommended the use of the mask in crowds and kept the vaccination schedule up to date, noting that surveillance remains “active” to detect the presence of respiratory viruses and new variants of covid .

Puerto Rico’s Department of Health warned that cases have increased with an average daily record of 641 reported infections, coinciding with an increase in emergency room visits by patients suffering from other respiratory diseases. However, the island’s government has not yet announced any measures. type of measure such as the use of masks.

Control the spread of the virus

On the other hand, authorities in Venezuela denied “rumors of an outbreak of Covid-19” in the country and assured that “precautionary measures are being taken” to tackle this disease, without providing more details.

In recent days, some doctors have reported an increase in hospitalizations for respiratory diseases in Venezuela. That’s why the National Academy of Medicine this week asked the government to “obtain new vaccines,” especially after the presence of the JN was confirmed. 1 variant in neighboring country Colombia.

although EFE has confirmed in Caracas that some people wear masks in closed spaces, such as pharmacies and supermarkets, there is no indication from authorities to resume this practice, although in some hospitals this precaution has been re-implemented at their discretion.

Other countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras or Costa Rica have not reported significant increases in recent weeks.

In Brazil, there were 19,950 infections in the first week of January, a number lower than the week before and in line with data from the previous two months.