WHO says Covid is spreading faster than the global distribution of vaccines

The global spread of Covid-19 is moving faster than the global distribution of vaccines, World Health Organization officials said Monday. They attributed transmission rates to new variants, such as Alpha and Delta, which have been shown to be more contagious. While the number of new cases of the virus continues to decline worldwide, the number of deaths has not been declining at the same rate, he said. More than 3.8 million people have died from Covid across the world since the beginning of the pandemic.

The number of new cases has declined for seven weeks in a row, the longest streak of declines the world has seen since the beginning of the pandemic. But the number of deaths reported this week is still similar to those reported last week, he said.

Countries in Africa are experiencing higher mortality rates among those suffering from Covid than other countries. The higher mortality rates are especially concerning because African countries have reported fewer cases than most other regions. African countries also have the least access to vaccines, diagnostics and oxygen supplies, highlighting the effects of medical inequity that global health officials have warned about.

WHO says Covid is spreading faster than the global distribution of vaccines, CNBC, Jun 15