The corona pandemic has been blown away in many Swedes' minds since most of the restrictions were scrapped in February.
Several countries in the western world have the situation under control, but in parts of the world the virus continues to haunt.
Death rates in Europe are declining - last week there was a decrease of around 25 percent compared to the week before.
At the same time, there are countries with high death rates, including Italy and France.
- These are countries that have a large population, says Ali Mirazimi, professor of clinical virology at Karolinska Institutet.
Increasing in Africa
The figures for the number of new cases and new deaths are declining on virtually all continents right now, he says.
However, there are some exceptions.
- It is primarily in Africa where both death rates and the number of new cases are rising, but it should be remembered that they are rising from very low numbers.
During the period 2-8 May, 57,000 new cases and 166 deaths were reported in Africa.
Mirazimi emphasizes that the statistics on the number of new cases only show those who have been tested positive, not all who have been infected.
Even in the US, the numbers point upwards, but only marginally.
Russia reports decline, but figures are not reliable, according to Mirazimi.
According to the Swedish Public Health Agency, data from several large studies provide support for a greatly reduced risk of serious illness in infection with the omicron variant, which may explain why the death rate is declining in the world in general.
Emergency situation in North Korea
In China, the multimillion-dollar city of Shanghai has been closed for periods during the spring - not because the spread has been overwhelming, but because there is zero tolerance in the country.
The information from China is limited and what is reported is difficult to interpret according to Mirazimi.
China has reported 67,218 deaths and 17,198,210 new cases in the past 28 days, according to statistics from John Hopkins University.
North Korea announced this week that the first covid cases have been confirmed in the country.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un calls the situation a "national emergency" and has ordered a lockdown for all cities and areas.
Most countries in Southeast Asia are pointing downwards in terms of the number of new cases, with the exception of East Timor, Nepal, Thailand and India, says Mirazimi.
The death toll is falling, he emphasizes.
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