WHO says global rise in COVID-19 cases is 'tip of the iceberg'

Figures showing aglobalriseinCOVID-19casescould herald a much bigger problem as some countries also report a drop in testing rates, theWHOsaid on Tuesday, warning nations to remain vigilant against the virus.

After more than a month of decline,COVIDcasesstarted to increase around the world last week, theWHOsaid, with lockdowns in Asia and China's Jilin province battling to contain an outbreak.

A combination of factors was causing the increases, including the highly transmissible Omicron variant and its BA.2 sublineage, and the lifting of public health and social measures, theWHOsaid.

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"These increase are occurring despite reductions in testing in some countries, which means thecaseswe're seeing are just the tip of the iceberg,"WHO's head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

Low vaccination rates in some countries, driven partly by a "huge amount of misinformation" also explained therise,WHOofficials said.

New infections jumped by 8 per centglobally compared to the previous week, with 11 million newcasesand just over 43,000 new deaths reported from March 7-13. It is the firstrisesince the end of January.

The biggest jump was in theWHO's Western Pacific region, which includes South Korea and China, wherecasesrose by 25 per centand deaths by 27 per cent.

Africa also saw a 12 per cent risein newcasesand 14 per centrisein deaths, and Europe a 2 per centriseincasesbut no jump in deaths. Other regions reported decliningcases, including the eastern Mediterranean region, although this area saw a 38 per centrisein deaths linked to a previous spike in infections.

A number of experts have raised concerns that Europe faces another coronavirus wave, with case rising since the beginning of March in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

TheWHO's Maria Van Kerkhove said at the briefing that BA.2 appears to be the most transmissible variant so far.

However, there are no signs that it causes more severe disease, and no evidence that any other new variants are driving theriseincases.

The picture in Europe is also not universal. Denmark, for example, saw a brief peak incasesin the first half of February, driven by BA.2, which quickly subsided.

But experts have begun to warn that the United States could soon see a similar wave to that seen in Europe, potentially driven by BA.2, the lifting of restrictions and potential waning immunity from vaccines given several months ago.

"I agree with the easing of restrictions, because you can't think of it as an emergency after two years," said Antonella Viola, professor of immunology at Italy's University of Padua.

"We just have to avoid thinking thatCOVIDis no longer there. And therefore maintain the strictly necessary measures, which are essentially the continuous monitoring and tracking ofcases, and the maintenance of the obligation to wear a mask in closed or very crowded places."

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