The Highest Weekly Number of New COVID-19 Cases Worldwide Ever Recorded

Rapid Spread Mainly in Developing Countries Like India and Brazil
Polarization Deepens Between Countries with High and Low Vaccination Rates

Citizens in India wearing masks and waiting in line to board a train [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Despite the continuous rise in COVID-19 vaccination rates, the number of weekly confirmed cases worldwide has reached an all-time high since the COVID-19 pandemic began. This is analyzed to be due to the rapid spread centered on countries with low vaccination rates.

According to Johns Hopkins University on the 18th (local time), the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide in the past week was 5.23 million. This figure exceeds the previous record of 5.19 million recorded in mid-December last year. Bloomberg News reported, "While the number of confirmed cases has stabilized in countries with fast vaccination rates such as the United States and the United Kingdom, the number of confirmed cases is rapidly increasing in developing countries such as Brazil and India."

Currently, India and Brazil rank 2nd and 3rd in the world in terms of new confirmed cases, respectively. However, vaccination rates in India and Brazil are 4.5% and 8.3%, respectively, which is significantly lower than the United States (33%) and the United Kingdom (32%).

Accordingly, it is observed that the vaccination speed in countries other than some advanced countries such as the United States, Israel, and the United Kingdom is relatively slow, causing a polarization in the spread of COVID-19. Bloomberg News stated, "All countries showing the most rapid increase in confirmed cases are those with low vaccination rates."

The number of COVID-19 deaths is also on the rise again. The total number of deaths from the 12th to the 18th reached about 82,000, showing a worsening situation again after the weekly death toll recorded about 60,000 in mid-last month.

The emergence of variant viruses is also a factor worsening the COVID-19 situation. The Brazil-origin variant virus, also called 'P.1', is currently identified as one of the main causes of the rapid spread of COVID-19 in Brazil, and in India, a double variant has been discovered where two types of variant viruses appear together, raising concerns among health authorities.