Update on the ongoing Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Global Epidemic, Brief #84

Outbreak Update: Since the last brief (17 August 2021), 4,555,465 new confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases, including 68,529 new deaths, have been reported globally. To date, a global total of 211,774,028 COVID-19 cases and 4,431,497 related deaths (case fatality ratio (CFR): 2.1%) have been reported from 225 countries and territories to the World Health Organization (WHO). The distribution of cumulative cases (proportion of global cases) from the WHO reporting regions (excluding Africa) are as follows: Eastern Mediterranean Region 12,013,429 (6%), European Region 63,790,934 (30%), Region of the Americas 81,824,784 (39%), South-East Asia Region 40,584,666 (19%) and Western Pacific Region 5,918,998 (3%). In the last seven days, the five countries reporting the highest number of new cases globally are the United States (838,639), the Islamic Republic of Iran (251,293), the United Kingdom (225,469), India (223,793) and Brazil (206,345). For more detailed information on cases and deaths reported outside of Africa, refer to the WHO COVID-19 dashboard.

As of 9 a.m. East African Time (EAT) 24 August 2021, a total of 7,574,781 COVID-19 cases and 189,989 deaths (CFR: 2.5%) have been reported in 55 African Union (AU) Member States. This represents 3.6% of all cases and 4.3% of all deaths reported globally. Twenty-two (40%) AU Member States are reporting CFRs higher than the global CFR. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 54 (98%) AU Member States have experienced at least a second wave, 38 (68%) have experienced a third wave, and four countries (Algeria, Kenya, Somalia and Tunisia) have experienced a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases. Figure 1 shows the trend of new COVID-19 cases reported per day by AU region from 15 February 2020 to 24 August 2021. There is daily fluctuation with an overall downward trend in the number of new cases being reported by day for the last four weeks. More information on COVID-19 situation in Africa is available on the Africa CDC daily dashboard and hotspot dashboard.