Over 5 million people have died from COVID-19 worldwide: “Devastating milestone”
On Monday, the number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide surpassed 5 million, less than two years into a pandemic that has not only decimated developing nations but also brought wealthier ones with excellent healthcare systems to their knees.
All together, the upper-middle-class or high-income nations of the United States, the European Union, Britain, and Brazil account for one-eighth of the world’s population, but approximately half of all recorded deaths occur in these nations. Over 740,000 lives have been lost in the United States alone, more than in any other country.
According to Johns Hopkins University, the number of fatalities is about equivalent to the combined populations of Los Angeles and San Francisco. According to estimates from the Peace Research Institute Oslo, it surpasses the total number of people killed in international conflicts since 1950. After heart disease and stroke, COVID-19 is currently the third most common cause of death worldwide.
Due to inadequate testing and home deaths without medical care, particularly in developing nations like India, the startling number is most likely an underestimate.
Over the course of the 22 months since the outbreak started, hot spots have moved, making various locations on the globe map crimson. The virus is now doing havoc in Russia, Ukraine, and other Eastern European countries, particularly in those where vaccination campaigns have been hampered by rumors, false information, and mistrust of the authorities. Just 17% of adults in Ukraine and 7% of adults in Armenia have received all recommended vaccinations.
Richer countries with longer life expectancies tend to have higher percentages of the elderly, cancer survivors, and residents of nursing homes—all groups most susceptible to COVID-19. Children, teens, and young adults are more prevalent in poorer nations and are less likely to become very ill from the coronavirus.
Though its data are questionable, India now has a considerably lower reported daily fatality rate than affluent countries like Russia, the U.S., or Britain, despite its alarming delta rise that peaked in early May.
