Covid claims 3 million lives as burden shifts to poorer nations

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The relentless pace of death due to the global Covid-19 pandemic continues unabated despite global vaccination efforts, and is now increasingly being carried by the poorest places in the world.

More than 3 million lives have been lost as a result of the new coronavirus that emerged in 2019, with the latest 1 million recorded deaths being even faster than the first two. It took about 8.5 months after the initial death rate in China to reach the first million, and just another 3.5 months to reach the second million.

According to Johns Hopkins University data, the death toll on Saturday exceeded about 3 million, but only three months since the January 2 mark exceeded the January 15 mark. hopes that the end of the pandemic is in sight with the widespread deployment of vaccines.

The actual death toll from Covid-19 is probably far higher than 3 million, due to under and faint reporting around the world.

The gloomy milestone highlights a greater difference in the fight against the pandemic, which is consistent with the gap in access to vaccines. While mortality rates in the US and parts of Europe have declined largely thanks to the vaccination of vaccines that give a return to some semblance of normal life, the developing world – especially Brazil – has a rising death toll.

Only five places account for about half of the last million deaths. The US alone claimed 18% of the world total, still the highest country share.

But the ground is shifting. The death toll is increasing in less affluent parts of the world, including those struggling to access vaccines. Among the last million deaths, Brazil’s share grew by 9.5 percentage points compared to the previous million deaths, followed by Mexico and Peru.

Another million

Five countries account for half of the last one million deaths

Source: Johns Hopkins University, data from 14:00 HKT on 16 April

Other countries have reduced their share of the last million deaths, with India, Iran and Argentina falling the most. Developed countries from Italy and the US to France and Belgium also have a smaller share in the new death toll compared to the previous million.

The findings underscore the need to bring vaccinations into the world, public health officials said. About 40% of the Covid-19 vaccines have been administered to people in 27 rich countries, which make up only 11% of the world population, according to the Bloomberg vaccine detection.

Read more: Vaccination rate runs 2,400% faster in the richest countries in the world

“There are many countries where people have not yet received a vaccination,” said Bali Pulendran, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University in California. “It’s not enough to vaccinate everyone in one country. Unless you vaccinate the entire population, you will not control the pandemic. ”

Differences in immunization pose a threat to the world. The more the coronavirus spreads unnoticed, the more likely it is to develop dangerous mutations. Some existing vaccines have already been indicated less effective against new varieties such as those from South Africa. The chance of a mutation entering a highly vaccinated country and setting off another spate of Covid cannot be diminished.

Wrong direction

Infectious infections and deaths have both taken off worldwide.

Source: Johns Hopkins University, based on weekly data

“Vaccines give us light at the end of the tunnel, but we are not there yet,” World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in an information session earlier this month. “We must all continue to protect ourselves and those around us by making the right choices.