As new Omicron subvariants fan out across the globe, a few more countries are reporting rising cases, including Portugal and India.In US developments, Pfizer and BioNTech yesterday said they submitted an emergency use authorization (EUA) application for use of a smaller dose of their vaccine in children ages 6 months through 4 years old—a welcome development for parents, especially against the backdrop of steadily rising cases.Cases up in multiple world regionsPortugal is reporting a fresh spike in COVID-19 activity, with a 7-day average of daily cases at 2,447, according Reuters, which said the level has reached just over one third of its Omicron variant peak in January.Public health officials in Portugal said the BA.5 Omicron subvariant has been detected in 90% of sequenced samples from newly infected patients, a level thought to be the highest among European nations.
The BA.4 subvariant has also been detected in Portugal. Both were first identified in South Africa, which recently had a modest fifth wave, but it's not clear where the two subvariants originated.Meanwhile, India's case increase is mainly led by a surge in Mumbai, according to Reuters.
The nation's cases are at their highest levels in a month. A government official said the wave is mild and involves Omicron variants, though it's not clear which subvariants are involved.
So far, hospitalizations aren't rising in Mumbai.Elsewhere, cases are rising in most parts of the Americas, except for the Caribbean region and the Atlantic islands, officials from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) said yesterday at a briefing.