The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of “concerning trends” for COVID-19 ahead of winter as a dangerous new strain runs rampant across the Northern Hemisphere.

The UN health agency estimates that hundreds of thousands of people around the world are currently hospitalized with the virus. However, the true number could be much higher because many countries have stopped reporting Covid data.

“We continue to see concerning trends for COVID-19 ahead of the winter season in the Northern Hemisphere,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online press conference.

He added: “Deaths are increasing in some parts of the Middle East and Asia, intensive care unit admissions are increasing in Europe and hospitalizations are increasing in several regions.” America has also seen a surge in cases as a new variant, designated BA.2.86, gains a foothold in the country as winter approaches.

According to a recent bulletin in Yale Medicine, the new variant has more than 30 mutations to its spike protein – located on the outer surface of a coronavirus – which helps it enter and infect human cells.

“Such a high number of mutations is notable,” infectious disease specialist Dr Scott Roberts said. “When we went from [Omicron variant] XBB.1.5 to [Eris] EG.5, that was maybe one or two mutations. “But these massive shifts, which we also saw from Delta to Omicron, are worrisome.”

According to a recent bulletin in Yale Medicine, the new variant has more than 30 mutations to its spike protein – located on the outer surface of a coronavirus – which helps it enter and infect human cells.

“Such a high number of mutations is notable,” infectious disease specialist Dr Scott Roberts said. “When we went from [Omicron variant] XBB.1.5 to [Eris] EG.5, that was maybe one or two mutations. “But these massive shifts, which we also saw from Delta to Omicron, are worrisome.”