TEGUCIGALPA, July 13 (NNN-TELESUR) — The Honduran Health Ministry issued a health alert Saturday due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the country and urged citizens to reinforce prevention measures, with special emphasis on protecting the most vulnerable groups.
“COVID-19 continues to pose a risk, especially for people with chronic diseases, older adults, and those who have not completed their vaccination schedule,” the Health Ministry stressed in a statement.
According to official data, 44 new positive cases of COVID-19 were reported in Honduras last week, 36 of them are stable under outpatient treatment and 8 are hospitalized in stable condition.
So far this year, Honduras has registered a total of 261 confirmed cases, of which 107 correspond to men and 154 to women, with females being the most affected.
The age groups with the highest incidence are adults between 20 and 29 years old, with 54 cases, and children from 0 to 9 years old, with 47 infections.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Ministry warn that the virus “continues to circulate” and continues to pose a risk, especially for people with chronic diseases, so they stress the importance of “maintaining active surveillance, completing vaccination schedules, and not relaxing personal protection measures.”
The Honduran institution has also recommended the use of masks in closed or poorly ventilated places, the appropriate use of alcohol gel and frequent hand washing.
Medical sources from public and private institutions have been reporting in recent weeks the increase of respiratory diseases.
The covid-19 pandemic, which started in Honduras in March 2020, left more than 10,000 dead in two years.
In 2025, the world has witnessed a notable surge in COVID-19 cases, largely attributed to the emergence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant named NB.1.8.1. This variant has raised concerns among international health organizations and is currently classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a “variant under monitoring” due to its rapid spread and potential public health impact.
According to the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), the NB.1.8.1 variant reached a positivity rate of 11% across 73 countries as of May 11, 2025, indicating a swift and widespread transmission. While preliminary data suggest that the severity of illness caused by this variant has not significantly changed, its enhanced transmissibility has led to a surge in cases worldwide.
The increase is not confined to any single region. The Americas and Asia have experienced particularly sharp rises, with over 1.1 million new cases reported recently in the Americas alone, accounting for 56.1% of global new infections.
In China and other Asian countries, NB.1.8.1 has been the primary driver of new outbreaks. Experts also warn that the variant could trigger a new wave of infections in the United States, where it accounted for nearly one-third of new COVID-19 diagnoses by early June—a substantial jump from previous months.
WHO spokesperson Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove emphasized that although the current risk to the general population remains low, the rapid spread of NB.1.8.1 and rising case numbers demand vigilant monitoring. She noted that the transmission rate of these new variants could be between 2 and 20 times higher than earlier strains, affecting most countries and posing increased risks to vulnerable groups and individuals with underlying health conditions.
Contributing factors to this surge include inconsistent vaccination guidelines and the relaxation of preventive measures. The virus’s persistence was evident during the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, where at least 40 athletes tested positive for COVID-19, highlighting the ongoing challenge of controlling transmission in high-contact settings.
COVID-19 cases rise in 2025 is closely linked to the rapid spread of the NB.1.8.1 variant, which has displaced other strains in multiple regions. While the severity of illness has not markedly increased, the variant’s high transmissibility and widespread presence underscore the importance of continued epidemiological surveillance, vaccination efforts, and adherence to preventive measures to mitigate the health and social impacts of this new phase of the pandemic. — NNN-TELESUR
