Lower testing rates likely reason for falling COVID-19 case reports, says WHO

Reuters

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A picture taken on May 8, 2021 shows a sign of the World Health Organization at the entrance of its headquarters in Geneva. Fabrice Coffini, AFP/file" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/afp/02/16/20220216-who.jpg"/><figcaption>A picture taken on May 8, 2021 shows a sign of the World Health Organization at the entrance of its headquarters in Geneva. <em>Fabrice Coffini, AFP/file</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>A drop in COVID-19 testing rates is likely contributing to a decline in reported cases even as deaths are rising, the World Health Organization&#x27;s technical lead on COVID-19 Maria Van Kerkhove said on Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;The bigger concern right now, I think, is the still increasing number of deaths,&quot; Van Kerkhove said during a virtual panel discussion livestreamed on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.</p><p>&quot;In the last week alone, almost 75,000 people died reported to us and we know that that is an underestimate.&quot;</p><p>The countries claiming that their transmission has dropped from 2 to 6 weeks ago have likely seen a drop in testing rates, said WHO&#x27;s emergencies chief Mike Ryan.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/17/22/us-weighing-next-phase-of-covid-as-omicron-wanes">US weighing next phase of COVID-19 as omicron wanes, officials say</a></li></ul><p>The WHO earlier this week urged governments to improve vaccination rates and rapid testing as infections have risen from the omicron variant of the coronavirus, especially in east Europe.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/02/17/22/bali-welcomes-back-tourists-with-first-intl-flight">Bali welcomes back tourists with 1st international flight</a></li></ul><p>Several countries have announced plans to relax COVID-19 restrictions in coming weeks if daily infection numbers kept falling.</p><p>Now is not the time for countries to change isolation requirements for people who test positive in rapid antigen or PCR tests, Ryan added.</p><div><em>(Reporting by Manojna Maddipatla and Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Richard Chang)</em></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1909950" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Now is not the time for countries to change isolation requirements for people who test positive in rapid antigen or PCR tests, says one WHO official.