.6% in week 48 (Figure 10, Table 6).  
 
All VUMs have shown a decreasing trend over the reporting period (Table 6).  
 
Sufficient sequencing data to calculate variant prevalence at the regional level during weeks 48 to 52 were available 
from four WHO regions: the Region of the Americas, the Western Pacific Region, the South -East Asia Region, and the 
European Region (Table 7). Among the VOIs, JN.1 was the most reported variant and showing an increasing trend in 
all the four regions. Except for XBB.1.16 that showed a small increase in the Western Pacific Region, the other VOIs 
and all the VUMs in all four regions observed dec reasing or stable trends.  
 
With declining rates of testing and sequencing globally (Figure 10), it is increasingly challenging to estimate the 
severity impact of emerging SARS -CoV-2 variants. There are currently no reported laboratory or epidemiological 
reports indicating any associ ation between VOIs/VUMs and increased disease severity. As shown in Figure 9 and 
Figure 10, low and unrepresentative levels of SARS -CoV-2 genomic surveillance continue to pose challenges in 
adequately assessing the variant landscape.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
19 
 Table 6. Weekly prevalence of SARS -CoV-2 VOIs and VUMs, week 48 to week 52 of 202 4 
 
 
 
§ Number of countries and sequences are since the emergence of the variants.  
* Includes descendant lineages, except those individually specified elsewhere in the table. For example, XBB* does not includ e 
XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, EG.5, XBB.1.9.1, XBB.1.9.2, and XBB.2.3.  
 
 