Global Statistics
Globally there are more than 996,000 people have died from coronavirus since the pandemic began. The US accounts for about a fifth of those deaths, and is currently reporting more than 204,000 Covid-19-related fatalities. Brazil has the second-highest death toll with more than 141,000 deaths and India has reported more than 94,000.
The United States could see an explosion in Covid-19 cases as fall and winter set in. The country surpassed 7 million coronavirus cases 209,453 total deaths. Dr. Anthony Fauci said Covid-19 vaccinations could “very likely” start in November or December. But it could still be a while until the US is back to normal.
The US could see an explosion of Covid-19 cases in the fall and winter as people exercise less caution and spend more time indoors, where there is a greater likelihood of transmission, according to Dr. Chris Murray, director of the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).
India surpassed 6 million coronavirus cases 95,574 deaths. The country has recorded 5 million infections in the past two months alone becoming only the second country in the world to do so.
The country recorded 82,170 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to figures released by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The only other country to report more cases is the United States, which now has more than 7.1 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University. India’s case numbers have been rising swiftly over the past few months.
Africa has so far reported 1,467,555 cases; with 35,215 deaths and 1,213,045 recoveries.
In South Africa, the number of confirmed cases are now 670,766. The death toll has risen to more than 16 300. The country yesterday recorded 1,268 new COVID-19 cases. 22 new deaths have also been reported bringing the total number of COVID-19 related fatalities to 16 398.
Zimbabwe has so far registered 7,812 coronavirus cases, including 227 related deaths. Some 6,106 people have recovered.
Global vaccine effort
Meanwhile, officials said the health agency is continuing talks with China about its possible involvement in the COVAX financing scheme designed to guarantee fast and equitable access globally to COVID-19 vaccines, a week after the deadline for committing passed.
“We’re in discussions with China about the role they may play as we go forward,” said Bruce Aylward, WHO senior adviser and head of the ACT-Accelerator programme to back vaccines, treatments and diagnostics against COVID-19.
He confirmed that Taiwan has signed up to the scheme, even though it is not a WHO member, bringing the total to 159 participants. Some 34 countries are still deciding.
Talks with China also include discussion of the world’s second-largest economy potentially supplying vaccines to the scheme, he said.
The UN agency published on Friday draft criteria for the assessment of emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines to help guide drugmakers as vaccine trials reach advanced stages, said WHO Assistant Director-General Mariangela Simao.
The document will be available for public comment until October 8, she said.
Earlier on Friday, a Chinese health official said the WHO had given its support for the country to start administering experimental coronavirus vaccines to people even while clinical trials were still under way. SOURCE : AL JAZEERA
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28/09/2020
