Tue 29 September 2020:
Experts remain concerned that the official figures for deaths and cases globally significantly under-represent the real tally
The global death toll from COVID-19 rose past 1 million on Tuesday, according to a Reuters tally, a bleak milestone in a pandemic that has devastated the global economy, overloaded health systems and changed the way people live.
While the US leads the world with more than 7.1 million cases and 205,000 deaths, Brazil has lost some 142,000 people with more than 4.7 million reported cases, and in India more than 95,000 people died in just over six million cases.
While China is the birthplace of COVID-19 with some 90,000 cases and 4,700 deaths, Turkey’s overall case tally stood at 315,800 with 8,062 deaths as of Monday.
There are more than 170 vaccines that are candidates for COVID-19 and tracked by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Out of those, 142 are at a pre-clinical phase, not yet tried on humans. While 29 of them are at Phase 1, tried on small-scale, 18 are at Phase 2 with expanded safety, and only nine are at Phase 3, tried on a large-scale efficacy. However, none are approved for general use yet.
China has been using experimental coronavirus vaccines on thousands of people since July through an emergency program, and it currently has 11 vaccines in clinical trials and four in Phase 3.
The WHO does not forecasts widespread vaccinations against COVID-19 around the world until mid-2021.
Infections Rising
Experts remain concerned that the official figures for deaths and cases globally significantly under-represent the real tally because of inadequate testing and recording and the possibility of concealment by some countries.
The response to the pandemic has pitted proponents of health measures like lockdowns against those intent on sustaining politically sensitive economic growth, with approaches differing from country to country.
‘No end in sight’
Shortly after the death toll hit 1,000,555, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the new bulk “an agonizing milestone” and said “it’s a mind-numbing figure.”
Noting that those who died were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues, the UN chief said “The pain has been multiplied by the savageness of this disease.”
“How do you say goodbye without holding a hand, or extending a gentle kiss, a warm embrace, a final whispered ‘I love you’?
“And still there is no end in sight to the spread of the virus, the loss of jobs, the disruption of education, the upheaval to our lives,” said Guterres.
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