COVID-19 death toll exceeds 700, 000 worldwide

Coronavirus deaths across the world have surpassed 700, 000, as cases continue to surge in countries yet to reach the peak of infections.

According to worldometer.info, more than 18.7 million infections have been recorded and 705, 288 deaths as of the time of reporting.

Nearly half the world’s cases have been in the US and Europe, but Covid-19 is now rapidly growing in the Americas.

The infectious disease is also picking pace in Africa with South Africa among the top five hardest-hit countries globally.

A troubling uptick of deaths

Four months earlier in March, the number of people killed worldwide by the coronavirus was 3,000. It crossed to half a million on June 28. About 20 days later, 100, 000 more deaths had been recorded and on Tuesday, the toll crossed 700, 000.

Nearly one-quarter of those deaths are accounted for by the U.S.

The U.S. reports approximately 5,000 deaths each week, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the true number of infections and fatalities could be far higher, giving the varied ways in which countries conduct tests and report COVID-19, the CNN reported.

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

Countries have continued to report inadequate testing kits for potential patients of COVID-19.

Nonetheless, the soaring death toll shows a world brought to a halt by a virus that paralysed the global economy with governments scrambling to reopen to avoid further crises.

Spike in America, India and Africa

While some countries have nearly brought the virus under control, others are seeing cases spike in record numbers.

Brazil, India, Russia and South Africa are next in line for the highest number of confirmed cases after the U.S.

But asides Brazil, other South American countries such as Peru, Mexico and Chile are seeing a daily rise in infections. They are now among the top ten most impacted countries.

India has reported nearly two million confirmed cases, becoming the third country to do so. Brazil has now reported nearly three million cases, behind just the U.S. that has almost reached the five million mark.

Africa

Coronavirus has slowly but steadily started gaining a foothold in Africa.

More than 21, 000 people have died in the continent of over a billion people, including the former Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari; the former president of the Republic of the Congo, Jacques Joachim Yhombi-Opango; and Somalia’s former prime minister Nur Hassan Hussein.

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Though Africa’s tally is still relatively low compared to global figures, it has doused the debate on the continent having some kind of immunity against COVID-19 due to its sunny temperature.

There were no longer coronavirus-free countries in Africa by May 13 and governments are now rushing to reinforce measures to contain the spread of the disease, knowing that their fragile health systems will be swiftly overwhelmed if the disease spreads in large clusters.

Nearly a million confirmed infections have been found in Africa, according to the African Centre for Disease Control (ACDC). Over 600, 000 people have recovered after treatment.

More than 900 people have died from the virus in Nigeria.