WHO reports first drop in global infections in two months

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced this week that global coronavirus cases have dropped for the first time in more than two months.

WHO reported in an update on Tuesday that 4 million COVID-19 cases were reported globally last week, which is down from the nearly 4.4 million new weekly infections reported recently, according to The Associated Press.

The United Nations health agency noted that every region across the world experienced a decline in cases compared to the previous week, with the number of deaths related to the virus worldwide dropping to about 62,000, the AP reported. The sharpest decline in deaths was seen in Southeast Asia, while Africa saw a 7 percent increase in deaths.

The highest numbers of COVID-19 cases were reported in the U.S., Britain, India, Iran and Turkey, as the delta variant of the virus continues to spread. The variant has reportedly been found in 180 countries.

Children and teenagers have been the least affected by the coronavirus, with related deaths of people under 24 years old accounting for fewer than 0.5 percent of deaths globally, the AP noted, adding that WHO has said previously that children should not be prioritized for vaccinations due to shortages globally.

As of Sept. 15, nearly 5.79 billion vaccine doses have been distributed and administered worldwide, according to The New York Times.