Global Covid-19 death toll tops five million

The US has the highest number of total confirmed deaths from Covid-19, with nearly 746,000 recorded since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins. Brazil, India and Mexico have the highest death tolls.

The data collected by Johns Hopkins reflects the official count of countries around the world. Disease experts say the patchy recording of Covid-19 cases and deaths means the real toll is much higher.

According to official calculations, more people died of COVID-19 in the first five and a half months of 2021 than in 2020. Weekly global deaths from Covid-19 peaked in January, when more than 100,000 people died in a week, according to Johns Hopkins data. The data shows that nations around the world are currently confirming an average of about 51,000 deaths a week.

Covid-19 vaccines have reduced the number of deaths and serious illnesses. Around seven billion doses of the vaccine have been given globally. However, many poor countries have little access to Covid-19 shots, putting their populations at higher risk of dying from the disease.

Some forms of the novel coronavirus have also presented challenges in the fight against COVID-19. The highly permeable delta variant caused a new wave of worldwide infections and significantly increased global mortality.

In the US, the spread of delta increased hospitalization and mortality in some parts of the country, particularly in areas where vaccination rates were low. At the end of September, the US was recording an average of 2,000 daily deaths for seven days, according to data from Johns Hopkins. As the data shows, at the peak of winter, the country reported an average of 3,400 Covid-19 daily deaths in mid-January.

Now, with a drop in new cases, hospitalizations and deaths in most states, the delta wave is at its peak. The US reported a seven-day average of 1,332 new Covid-19 deaths on Sunday, Johns Hopkins data showed. But the coming holidays and winter months will test whether the US can keep up with that momentum, public-health officials and epidemiologists say, as the number of Covid-19 cases rises to levels recorded this time last year. is close to. The country recorded an average of 72,412 confirmed cases on Sunday, up from 109,000 on October 1, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

A new, incremental uptake in vaccination has helped drive the decline, as has increased immunity in the population and a return to certain Covid-19 protocols in some parts of the country. According to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 58% of Americans have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The United States can strengthen its defenses as young children begin to be vaccinated in the coming weeks. The Food and Drug Administration on Friday authorized Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE vaccines for about 28 million children between the ages of 5 and 11. The shots may be available for children in the coming weeks after a CDC review.

However, getting the shot for eligible adults is still a challenge, and some health officials are concerned that the rapid retreat of the delta wave has eroded some of the urgency that was prompting people to roll up their sleeves. .