Global COVID caseload surges to new record high: WHO

GENEVA: The global COVID caseload surged up to a new record level, with the reported 5.2 million infections in the past seven days. According to the World Health Organisation, the infection rate is said to have alarmingly been higher in young people.

The current global caseload and death toll stood at 141,813,257 and 3,027,353, respectively, as of Tuesday morning.

The US is the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases(31,737,347) and deaths (567,690).

COVID-19 deaths have also increased for the fifth straight week, marking the global death toll to over three million, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during a press briefing.

"It took nine months to reach one million deaths; four months to reach two million, and three months to reach three million," the WHO chief said.

He also pointed out that said infections among people aged 25 to 59 are also alarmingly rising, indicating highly transmissible variants and increased social gathering among younger adults.

To address the issue of vaccine shortage worldwide, the WHO has on April 17 issued an expression of interest for establishing a technology transfer hub for mRNA vaccines, to help amplify the production of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries.

Through this, the original manufactures of mRNA vaccines will share their technology and know-how to a central hub, which can be accessed by manufacturers in low- and middle-income countries.

"We have seen incredible innovation in science; now we need innovation to ensure as many people as possible benefit from that science," said Adhanom