The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has surpassed 25 million worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been 25,327,098 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 848,255 deaths reported to them as of Sept. 1.
John Hopkins University, which also tracks COVID-19 cases and deaths, says there have been more than 25.5 million cases of the virus and more than 850,000 deaths as of Sept. 1.
However, WHO has previously stated that “differences are to be expected” between the information published by them and information provided by national public health authorities, and other sources, who may be using different criteria and different data cut-off times.
According to data available on WHO’s website, the United States, Brazil, and India remain the world’s top countries for reported cases and deaths.
The United States continues to have the highest number of reported COVID-19 cases and deaths, with 5.9 million cases and 182,162 deaths, followed by Brazil, with a reported 3.86 million cases and 120,828 deaths, and India, which has reported 3.69 million cases and 65,288 deaths.
Russia has reported just over 1 million cases – the fourth highest of any nation worldwide – but only 17,299 deaths.
Peru has the world’s fifth-highest number of reported cases, with 647,000 cases. The South American nation has also reported 28,788 deaths, which is among the highest in the world.
Canada, according to WHO, has reported just 127,940 cases of the virus, which is slightly less than the 128,948 cases listed on Health Canada’s website.
Meanwhile, China, where COVID-19 was first reported, has reported 90,402 cases and 4,730 deaths from the virus to the World Health Organization.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said in a media address Monday that the organization supports the reopening of countries and children returning to school, but only in a safe and responsible manner.
The reality is that this coronavirus spreads easily, it can be fatal to people of all ages, and most people remain susceptible. If countries are serious about opening up, they must be serious about suppressing transmission and saving lives,” he said.
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Tedros also stressed that countries need to have control over the virus before reopening.
“Opening up without having control is a recipe for disaster,” he said.
WHO has recommended countries follow four “essential things” all countries, communities and individuals must do in order to take control of the virus.
The first step, said Tedros, is that countries must prevent amplifying events such as large gatherings at stadiums, nightclubs, and places of worship.
“Preventing these amplifying events is essential, but there are ways to hold gatherings safely in some places. Decisions about how and when to allow gatherings of people must be taken with a risk-based approach, in the local context,” he said. “Countries or communities experiencing significant community transmission may need to postpone events for a short time to reduce transmission. On the other hand, countries or communities with sporadic cases or small clusters can find creative ways to hold events while minimizing risk.”
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The second step is reducing the number of deaths through the protection of vulnerable groups, such as older people, essential workers and those with underlying conditions.
“By protecting those who are most at risk, countries can save lives, prevent people becoming severely ill, and take the pressure off their health systems,” he said.
Tedros said the third step is for people to stay at least one metre away from other people when possible, regularly wash their hands, practice “respiratory etiquette,” and wear a mask. He said people should practice what is known as the “three Cs.”
“Closed spaces, crowded places, and close-contact settings,” he said.
The fourth and final step, according to Tedros, is that governments around the world need to “take tailored actions to find, isolate, test and care for cases, and trace and quarantine contacts.”
“Widespread stay-at-home orders can be avoided if countries take temporary and geographically-targeted interventions,” he said.@
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