Seithati Motšoeneng
THE World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to maintain vigilance as COVID-19 continues to circulate worldwide, presenting ongoing challenges to public health.
Although the pandemic’s emergency phase officially ended in May 2023, the WHO says the virus is still active in numerous regions, including African countries like Lesotho.
In its most recent update, WHO highlighted that the threat from COVID-19 remains high, particularly with the emergence of new variants such as NB.1.8.1.
Last month, WHO classified NB.1.8.1 as a “variant under monitoring (VUM)”, noting its rising prevalence around the globe.
In contrast, the presence of another variant, LP.8.1, is starting to diminish.
Based on current evidence, WHO assesses the additional public health risk from NB.1.8.1 as “low at the global level”.
The agency also affirmed that “existing COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against both symptomatic and severe illness caused by this variant”.
While some countries experiencing a surge in NB.1.8.1 cases have also seen increases in infections and hospitalizations, available data do not show that this variant leads to more severe disease than other circulating variants.
According to the WHO, as of May 18, the variant had been detected in 22 countries and accounted for 10.7 percent of global COVID-19 sequences reported to the Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) during the last week of April (epidemiological week 17 which was April 21–27, 2025)—a sharp rise from 2.5 percent a month earlier.
Thus, the WHO is urging countries to remain vigilant against COVID-19 by maintaining strong systems for tracking the virus, early detection, and robust healthcare capacity.
While WHO is not calling for restrictions on travel or trade, it emphasizes the importance of individual precautions and vaccination.
The global health organisation also advises the public to follow straightforward, effective steps: avoid crowded and poorly ventilated places, maintain physical distance, wear masks if you are sick or at higher risk, and practice good hand hygiene.
Anyone feeling unwell should self-isolate until they recover, it says. It adds that vaccination, including booster doses, “continues to be the most effective protection against COVID-19 and its emerging variants”.
In India, active COVID-19 cases reached 4,302 as of June 4, with nearly 300 new infections reported in the previous 24 hours. States including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, and Kerala are experiencing steady increases.
In Taiwan, nearly 6,000 people sought hospital treatment for COVID-19 symptoms between April 27 and May 3, 2025, a 78 percent jump from the previous week and the fourth straight week of rising cases.
In the U.S., more than a dozen NB.1.8.1 cases have been identified in Washington State as of early June 2025. The variant was first found in the U.S. between late March and early April during routine airport screenings in California, Washington, Virginia, and New York, with additional cases later reported in Ohio, Rhode Island, and Hawaii.
U.S. COVID-19 deaths have averaged about 300 per week through May, with health experts expecting possible summer surges in line with previous seasonal trends.
Health authorities report that COVID-19 activity remains low across Africa, Europe, and the Americas, with recent surveillance data showing test positivity rates between 2 percent and 3 percent in these regions.
Since the global health emergency ended, WHO has been assisting countries such as Lesotho by offering guidance, technical support, and sharing resources to help control COVID-19.
WHO highlights that the pandemic is not over and that continued collective action is essential to prevent future outbreaks.
The core message from WHO is to stay vigilant, keep up with preventive actions, and collaborate to protect global health.
Lesotho, which reported its first COVID-19 case in May 2020, has gone through multiple stages of the pandemic, introducing various public health measures to limit the virus’s spread.
Challenges such as limited healthcare resources and geographical constraints have affected the country’s response. Continued vaccination efforts and public awareness campaigns remain vital for managing COVID-19 in Lesotho.
