The World Health Organization said nearly 20 million new COVID cases were recorded in the 28 days through Jan. 29, down 78% from the previous 28 days. The WHO counted more than 114,000 deaths in the period, up 65% from the previous one. The agency is switching to a 28-day interval to smooth out weekly fluctuations in cases and deaths, but continues to caution that a reduction in testing and delays in reporting in many countries are distorting the numbers. The WHO is now prioritizing four omicron descendent lineages, including XBB.1.5, which is dominant in the U.S., it said in its weekly epidemiological update.
The seven-day average of new U.S. COVID cases stood at 41,771 on Wednesday, according to a New York Times tracker. That’s down 23% from two weeks ago. The daily average for hospitalizations was down 22% at 31,593. The average for deaths was 453, down 6% from two weeks ago. The global tally of confirmed cases of COVID-19 topped 671.1 million on Thursday, while the death toll rose above 6.83 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. leads the world with 102.5 million cases and 1,109,687 fatalities.Market Pulse Stories are Rapid-fire, short news bursts on stocks and markets as they move. Visit MarketWatch.com for more information on this news.
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