After Spain and the United States recorded their highest daily deaths from coronavirus on Tuesday, the total global body-count has surged past 40,000.

As of the time of reporting, over 40,000 people have died from the disease, data from worldometers.info showed.

Experts believe the death toll might even be twice the current figure as many die without being tested.

Countries have continued to report inadequate testing kits for potential patients of COVID-19, a strain of coronavirus which has continued to defy science.

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The disturbing death toll came as COVID-19 cases worldwide surged pass 800,000 with health experts suggesting that the number of people infected would surpass one million in the coming days.

Europe had become the worst-affected region with the combined death toll in Italy and Spain approaching 20,000, roughly half the global total — demonstrating the high price nations can pay if the virus outstrips the capacity of a country’s health care system.

The United States which already has the highest number of reported infections in the world – over 160,000 – on Tuesday recorded more than 500 deaths under 24 hours with the nations’ death toll surging past 3,000.

The U.S. may soon overtake China’s 3,305 death toll, although the virus originated from the Asian country last December.

Spain, the 4th worst-hit nation recorded more than 800 deaths in the past 24 hours.

France has surged past 3,000 fatalities and as many as 1, 400 people have died in the U.K.

The death toll in Africa has been relatively low compared to other parts of the world.

No country in the continent has recorded more than 50 deaths. Egypt has the highest number of fatalities – 41, followed by Algeria and Morocco with 35 and 33.

South Africa still leads the continent with over 1,000 cases but has only three fatalities.

Nigeria has 135 cases as of Tuesday afternoon with two deaths. About eight persons have recovered and have been discharged.