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Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than two million people have already died worldwide after infection with the coronavirus. This was revealed today by data from the University of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Worldwide, there have been more than 93 million confirmed infections with the virus. Experts assume that the number of unreported cases is even higher.
The university’s website is regularly updated with incoming data and therefore shows a higher level than the official figures from the World Health Organization (WHO). In some cases, however, the numbers have recently been revised downward. According to the WHO, there have been 1.98 million confirmed deaths to date.
“Heartbreaking milestone”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke of a “heartbreaking milestone” in light of the two million deaths. A statement said, “Behind this staggering number are names and faces: the smile that is now only a memory, the forever empty seat at the dinner table, the room that echoes the silence of a loved one.” Guterres criticized the deadly impact of the pandemic as being exacerbated by the lack of a coordinated global effort.
“In memory of these two million souls, the world must act with much greater solidarity,” the U.N. secretary-general urged. “Now is the time to do so.” Leading economic nations have a special responsibility, he said. “Vaccines are rapidly reaching high-income countries, while the world’s poorest have none at all.” Some countries were procuring more vaccine than they needed, he said. Countries would have to share surplus vaccine doses. That would help vaccinate all health care workers around the world and keep health care systems from collapsing.
U.S. in the lead
Nearly 390,000 deaths have been reported in the U.S. so far, or about one-fifth of all deaths worldwide. In Brazil, more than 200,000 people have died related to coronavirus infection, according to Hopkins data, and more than 150,000 in India. In Europe, the most deaths were reported in the United Kingdom, with more than 86,000, followed by Italy (81,000) and France (70,000). In Germany, about 45,000 deaths have occurred, according to Johns Hopkins, and in Austria, about 7,000.
The death toll in the U.S., home to about 330 million people, is the highest in the world in absolute numbers. Relative to the population, however, the number of deaths is higher in some European countries. In the U.S., about 119 people died per 100,000 population, according to Johns Hopkins University data. In Belgium, the figure is 178, in Italy 134 and 130 in Great Britain.
Source: ORF.at/picture: pixabay.com
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