COVID-19, an international pandemic that already caused tens of thousands of deaths worldwide, never seems to stop as it just went beyond the 1.5-million mark.
The novel coronavirus, also known as SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, has reached more than 1.5 million cases worldwide as of Thursday, April 9. The number of cases may still continue to climb, as researchers warn that a second wave will likely occur in the coming months.
COVID-19 also recorded around 90,000 deaths worldwide and 332,000 recoveries, according to the live map supplied by John Hopkins University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE).
Coronavirus spreading like wildfire, smaller nations spared
At the time of this writing, the United States has the most number of cases at 461,437, followed by Spain, Italy, and Germany, all of which have six-digit cases.
Rounding up the top ten are France, China, Iran, the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Belgium.
On another note, Brazil reported its first cases of COVID-19 among its indigenous group, with a 15-year-old boy of the Yanomami tribe being treated in an intensive care unit at a hospital in Boa Vista.
Japan is reporting an increased number of cases, prompting the government. Meanwhile, South Korea is also worried about the increasing number of people who are getting the disease once again.
Out of 197 countries, North Korea, Turkmenistan, Lesotho, Comoros, Yemen, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and a majority of the smaller nations in the Pacific region are currently officially free from COVID-19.
The background and current impact
COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by a new virus that originated from wild animals.
The disease causes a type of respiratory illness with symptoms such as a cough, fever, and in more severe cases, difficulty breathing.
The new disease was already listed as a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” which is the official name for any widespread international disease outbreak, by the World Health Organization earlier this year in January.
At the moment, multiple governments around the world have imposed total lockdowns and massive economic stimulus packages in a bid to stem the damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Economies around the world are expected to register negative growth, with initial direct losses predicted by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to reach beyond $4 trillion.
Social distancing remains the best way to contain the virus, even as scientists around the world scramble for a vaccine, as well as a reliable way to treat COVID-19.
It is important to note that obtaining the disease is not a death sentence. Many who get the disease recover in a matter of days, and a greater number of people who contract COVID-19 may never notice they had it at all.