COVID-19 Deaths in December Reach Nearly 10,000, Majority in U.S..

Rising cases attributed to JN.1 variant and low uptake of updated vaccines, amid fears of a 'tripledemic' with other respiratory diseases.

Nearly 10,000 people died from COVID-19 in December, with over half of these deaths occurring in the United States.
The JN.1 variant, a descendant of Omicron, is currently the most dominant strain in the U.S., accounting for around 62% of cases.
Despite the new variant, uptake of the updated vaccines has been low, with less than 20% of eligible adults in the U.S. having received the new shot.
COVID hospitalizations and deaths have been increasing week over week for two straight months in the U.S.
Other respiratory diseases, like flu, rhinovirus and pneumonia, are also on the rise, leading to fears of a 'tripledemic'.