Global coronavirus cases surpassed 100 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as countries around the world struggle with new virus variants and vaccine shortfalls.
Almost 1.3% of the world’s population has now been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and more than 2.1 million people have died.
One person has been infected every 7.7 seconds, on average, since the start of the year. Around 668,250 cases have been reported each day over the same period, and the global fatality rate stands at 2.15%.
The worst-affected countries – the United States, India, Brazil, Russia, and the United Kingdom – make up more than half of all reported COVID-19 cases but represent 28% of the global population, according to a Reuters analysis.
It took the world 11 months to record the first 50 million cases of the pandemic; compared to just three months for cases to double to 100 million.
Around 56 countries have begun vaccinating people for the coronavirus, administering at least 64 million doses. Israel leads the world on per capita vaccinations, inoculating 29% of its population with at least one dose.
With over 25 million cases, the United States has 25% of all reported COVID cases; although it accounts for just 4% of the world’s population. The United States leads the world in the daily average number of new deaths reported; accounting for one in every five deaths reported worldwide each day. With just under 425,00 fatalities; the United States has reported almost twice as many deaths as Brazil; which has the second-highest death toll in the world.
In India, the nation with the second-highest number of cases, infections are decreasing; with almost 13,700 new infections reported on average each day; around 15% of its peak. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday India was completely self-reliant on coronavirus vaccine supplies as the world’s second-most populous country inoculated more than 1 million people within a week of starting its campaign.