Six months after the first corona cases became known, the number of infected continues to rise sharply – to more than ten million confirmed cases worldwide. Particularly affected: USA and Brazil.
It is difficult to estimate the actual number of infected people. Because many people are not tested or they had no or only weak symptoms. In the United States, for example, experts assume almost ten times as many people are infected. That alone would be 20 million.
The confirmed number of infections with the new corona virus has meanwhile increased to more than ten million worldwide. Almost 500,000 people died from the infection. This is the latest data from the University of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
The number of ten million people infected worldwide is roughly twice the number of severe flu cases registered annually by the World Health Organization (WHO). The death rate in the approximately seven months of the corona pandemic roughly corresponds to the death rate from the flu in one year.
Sharp increase in the United States
The United States remains the worst affected country by the health effects of the pandemic. It has the most confirmed infections with 2.5 million and the most known corona deaths with more than 125,000 victims.
On Saturday, authorities reported around 43,000 confirmed new infections there – after around 45,000 the previous day, which was the largest increase so far in one day since the pandemic started. In particular, states in the south of the country such as Florida, Texas, Arizona and California reported highs in new infections. A waning of the pandemic therefore did not appear to be in sight at first.
Brazil remains severely affected
In global terms, Brazil followed in second place, where the pathogen Sars-CoV-2 recently also spread rapidly. There were 1.3 million known infections and around 57,000 deaths there, according to Johns Hopkins. In terms of confirmed corona infections, Russia (630,000), India (530,000) and Great Britain (310,000) followed.
The number of victims in the United States with its approximately 330 million inhabitants is the highest in absolute numbers worldwide. However, relative to the number of inhabitants, the number of deaths is higher in some European countries. In the US, around 38 people per 100,000 people died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. In the UK, this figure is rounded to 66, in Italy to 57 and in Sweden to 52 – in Germany, by contrast, 11.
500,000 Chinese have to be quarantined
In China, around half a million citizens living near Beijing have to go into the lockdown because of a new outbreak of coronavirus. The Chinese authorities said after the number of new infections in the capital increased again. In the past 24 hours, 14 new infections with the novel corona virus have been detected. However, the authorities assured that the situation would “improve”.
The lockdown affects residents in Anxin County, 150 kilometers from Beijing. According to the health authority, the place is “completely sealed off and checked”. The residents would have to stay at home. Only one representative per family can go outside to do groceries and get medicine, it said.
The recent infections in Beijing have raised fears of a widespread resurgence of the virus in China. After two months without new infections in Beijing, the number of new infections has risen to 311 since June 11. The Xinfadi market in Beijing is believed to be the starting point. According to the authorities, around 200,000 people have visited the market since May 30. Much of Beijing’s fresh produce is traded on the wholesale food market. According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, companies from Anxin County also supplied freshwater fish to the wholesale food market.
Turkey limits exit
In Turkey, temporary ban on going out is applicable this weekend due to large-scale entrance exams for universities in all 81 provinces. To prevent large crowds, among other things in public transport, reported the state news agency Anadolu. The measure is valid until 6.30 p.m. (local time). All people except the around 2.4 million test subjects and their families had to adhere to it.
Turkey had already imposed a similar temporary lockdown last week, at that time it was about entrance exams for 1.6 million students. Overall, however, Turkey has relaxed many restrictions since the beginning of the month. The number of new infections every day then rose again. To date, Turkey has reported more than 194,000 coronavirus cases and 5065 deaths related to the Sars-CoV-2 virus.
