Global Covid-19 Caseload Tops 168.5mn, Show WHO Figures

WASHINGTON:
The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 168.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.50 million, according to official figures published by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of Saturday morning, the current global caseload and death toll stood at 168,599,045 confirmed cases and 3,507,477, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 32,869,009 and 586,890, respectively, according to the WHO. In terms of infections, India follows in second place with 27,555,457 cases.

India on Saturday reported 1,73,790 fresh Covid-19 cases while 3,617 patients succumbed to the coronavirus in the last 24 hours, the figures given by the country’s Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry show.

The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (16,274,695), France (5,535,701), Turkey (5,220,549), Russia (5,044,459), the UK (4,473,681), Italy (4,205,970), Germany (3,669,870), Spain (3,663,176), Argentina (3,622,135) and Colombia (3,294,101), the WHO figures showed.

Covid Deaths
In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 454,429 fatalities. Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (318,895), Mexico (222,232), the UK (127,758), Italy (125,793), Russia (120,406) and France (108,354).

In the last 18 days, India has recorded over 68,000 deaths. On May 24, India crossed a grim milestone of three-lakh deaths due to coronavirus infections, thus becoming the world’s third country after the US and Brazil to cross three-lakh deaths.

India registered record deaths due to Covid exactly a week back with 4,529 deaths — the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection in any country since the coronavirus outbreak was reported in China’s Wuhan in December 2019.

It surpassed 4,468 deaths in the US on January 12, and earlier 4,211 in Brazil on April 6.