While the figure of 2 million is appalling, experts believe that the actual death toll is probably much higher. Only confirmed deaths from Covid-19 were included in the count, which means that people who die without a fixed diagnosis may not be included.
As the tests are still inadequate in many countries around the world, there could be hundreds of thousands of additional deaths.
Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, said an analysis of excessive mortality suggests that as many as one-fifth of coronavirus deaths may not be recorded.
“We have found that the total deaths are on average 20% higher than the deaths reported,” he said in an email to CNN, adding that the ratio differs significantly in different countries.
“There are extreme cases like Ecuador, Peru or Russia where the total deaths are 300-500% higher than the deaths reported … but where we have data, the average ratio is 20% higher.”
As vaccination programs begin to roll out around the world, there is a glimmer of hope – though it will probably take years before everyone gets the chance.
Meanwhile, the pandemic is getting worse. The death toll is rising faster than ever. While it took eight months before the world recorded 1 million Covid-19 deaths, the second million came in less than four months.
A number of countries, including the United States, Germany, Sweden, Indonesia, Israel and Japan, have recorded their deadliest days of the pandemic in the past week. The number of cases worldwide is fast approaching 100 million.
The US recorded by far the highest total death toll in the world, followed by Brazil, India and Mexico. But the pandemic has reached every corner of the globe, and only a few small, isolated nations have reported any deaths.
The virus has hit the elderly the hardest, but that does not mean young people are not dying. Poorer people and members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and frontline workers are dying at much higher rates. But death also did not spare celebrities and royalty.
There are now 2 million deaths. 2 million stories. 2 million chairs left empty at the dinner table. Here are the names of a small fraction of those who lost their lives:
Kimora “Kimmie” Lynum was a 9-year-old who liked unicorns. Thomas Harvey caring for stroke patients. Adan and Mariah Gonzalez were the parents of 4-year-old Raiden. José Ángel Medina Soto was a renowned Mexican singer. Rita Haro, Jose “Chico” Haro and Manuela “Nellie” Johnson were brothers and sisters who loved homemade tamales and telenovelas. Demetria Bannister was an elementary school teacher who loved music. Fabrizio Soccorsi was Pope Francis’ personal physician. Evelyn Ochoa-Celano retired as a nurse to return and fight on the pandemic front lines. Patrick Ellis was a longtime DC radio host. AshLee DeMarinis was a high school teacher. Jean-Jacques Razafindranazy was an emergency doctor respected by his team. Daniel Moran dies a few days after losing his father Miguel Moran. Erika Becerra died three weeks after giving birth to a healthy baby boy. Conrad Buchanan loved to dance with his daughter. Soumitra Chatterjee was an Indian acting legend. Dr. Rebecca Shadowen was the ‘glue of her family’. Sergio Humberto and Dolores Padilla Hernandez brothers and sisters were. Thomas Slade, a Mississippi teacher, sometimes used a hammer in class. Keith and Gwendolyn Robinson were best friends, married 35 years. Xavier Harris was a 4-year-old who passed away the day after Christmas. Carla Sacchi died after her husband serenaded her from the street. Rev. Vickey Gibbs has a passion for social justice and the ability to whip up colorful, beautiful breakfasts. Fatemeh Rahbar was a newly elected member of the Iranian parliament. Guy Tetro bass played in a rock band. Tracy Larsen and her father Burt Porter died only minutes apart. Kiyotaka Suetake, known as Shobushi, was a sumo wrestler. Aldemar “Al” Rengifo Jr. was a 20-year veteran of a sheriff’s division in South Florida. Dr. Mohammed Al-Youssef was a doctor in Syria. Ken Shimura was a famous Japanese comedian. Samantha Diaz three children left behind. Flavio Ramos‘family found out his body was missing in a hospital overrun by the virus. Eve Branson was the mother of Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group. Noe Martinez Domingues once his children made a cart out of an old lawn mower. Zororo Makamba was a prominent Zimbabwean journalist. Patricia Dowd like to travel. Herman Cain was a one-time Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. Skylar Herbert was the 5-year-old daughter of two first responders. Buik Mujinga was a railway ticket work after which she was spat at while working. Cynthia Alcantara Barker was the mayor of Hertsmere in England. Kenzo Takada was a designer known for creating the fashion house Kenzo. SP Balasubrahmanyam was one of India’s most famous film singers. Ruben Burks has spent more than 60 years the work of women and coloreds in the labor movement. Donna Mitchell potty training organized in her neighborhood and even became a substitute grandmother for the children next door. Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma was a Spanish princess and a distant cousin of King Felipe VI. Iris Meda retired to teach nursing students. Mag Bunjes done volunteer work for decades. Margaret Ann Spangler was a strong, smart, quirky, funny, caring woman who loved her family immensely. Adeline Fagan was a second-year OBGYN resident. Maria Mercader was a producer of CBS News. Dr Susan Moore loved medicine. Paul Blackwell and Rose Mary Blackwell were both teachers, and married for 30 years. Jay-Natalie La Santa was the baby daughter of a firefighter in New York. Roy Horn was half a popular animal and magic artist in Las Vegas. Dr Carlos Araujo-Preza was a physician who cared for some of Houston’s sickest Covid-19 patients. Luke Letlow was an elected congressman. Zelene Blancar, a first-grade teacher, kindly taught her students. Chad Dorrill was a college student and former high school basketball player. Li Wenliang was a doctor widely regarded as a hero in China because he blew the whistle during the initial outbreak of the coronavirus.
Additional graphics by Sarah-Grace Mankarious of CNN.
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