- Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world, with more than 23 million confirmed cases in 188 countries. About 800,000 people have lost their lives.
- Cases of the disease are continuing to surge in many countries, while others which had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks are now seeing infections rise again.
- The pandemic is ebbing in some of the countries that were hit hard early on, but the number of new cases is growing faster, with more than 200,000 reported each day.
- The virus continues to affect every region of the world, with some countries experiencing high rates of infection, while others appear to have mostly controlled the virus.
- The outbreak was initially defined by a series of shifting epicenters — including Wuhan, China; Iran; northern Italy; Spain; and New York.
- Cases worldwide leveled off in April after social distancing measures were put in place in many of the areas with early outbreaks.
The coronavirus pandemic has sickened more than 23,401,800 people, according to official counts. As of Monday morning, at least 808,200 people have died, and the virus has been detected in nearly every country. BBC reports about the global outbreak of the pandemic.
Positive cases and deaths on the rise
Latin America and Asia are the continents that currently have the highest number of daily confirmed cases.
In terms of individual countries, Brazil has the second highest number of cases in the world, after the US. It has recorded more than 114,000 deaths.
Mexico has the second-highest death toll in Latin America with about 60,000 deaths, and cases have also risen rapidly in Colombia, Peru, Argentina and Venezuela.
India has recorded more than three million cases and has been averaging more than 60,000 new infections each day.
So far more than 50,000 people have died, which amounts to the world’s fourth highest death toll.
Documents leaked to the BBC Persian service suggest the actual death toll is more than double the official total of 20,000. Neighbouring Iraq is now also seeing a spike in cases.
Cases continue to rise in Indonesia, and the country has also recorded more than 6,500 deaths – the highest number in South East Asia.
Africa has recorded more than a million confirmed cases, although the true extent of the pandemic in the continent is not known. Testing rates are reported to be low, which could distort official estimates.
South Africa and Egypt have seen the largest recorded outbreaks so far, with South Africa one of only eight countries in the world to record more than 500,000 confirmed cases.
Europe sees ‘second wave’
France, Spain, Italy and Germany have recorded their highest numbers of daily cases since the spring in recent days, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned of a resurgence of the disease in Europe.
Hans Kluge, the director general of the WHO’s Europe office, has said the rise in cases is “due in part to the relaxation of public health and social measures … people have been dropping their guard.”
A number of countries have re-imposed localized lockdowns in their worst-affected regions, and there have been renewed appeals for people to wear face coverings and follow social distancing rules.
The pattern of rising infections following the end of lockdown restrictions is not limited to Europe.
Other countries that have also seen a recent resurgence of the virus include Israel, Peru, Australia and Japan.
South Korea has also imposed tough restrictions nationwide after a new outbreak which began in the capital Seoul.
Cases in the US have slowed after second surge
The US saw an increase in the number of daily cases to record levels in July but the numbers have stabilized and fallen since then.
With more than 170,000 deaths, the US has the highest recorded death toll of any country.
The University of Washington predicts the death toll could hit more than 295,000 by the beginning of December – though it says this could be reduced to about 230,000 if 95% of Americans wore masks in public.
The outbreak has had a devastating impact on the US economy, with GDP falling by a record rate of 33% in the three months from April to June.
Click here to see the state-by-state breakdown of cases in the United States.
What can you do?
You can help reduce your risk and do your part to protect others by following some basic steps:
- Keep your distance from others. Stay at least six feet away from people outside your household as much as possible.
- Wear a mask outside your home. A mask protects others from your germs, and it protects you from infection as well. The more people who wear masks, the more we all stay safer.
- Wash your hands often. Anytime you come in contact with a surface outside your home, scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds, rinse and then dry your hands with a clean towel.
- Avoid touching your face. The virus can spread when our hands come into contact with the virus, and we touch our nose, mouth or eyes. Try to keep your hands away from your face unless you have just recently washed them.
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Source: BBC
