COVID-19 Deaths Hit 5 Million Globally
2 Min Read
Covid-19 has killed 5 million people so far, with unvaccinated individuals being particularly vulnerable to the deadly Delta variant.
-
On Friday, Russia reported 887 Covid-related deaths, the highest single-day death toll
Reuters reported that the global death rate from COVID-19 has reached 5 million on Friday, as the Delta variant caused a rise in deaths, primarily among unvaccinated individuals.
The Delta variant has revealed significant differences in immunization rates across rich and poor countries. Furthermore, it demonstrated the result of vaccination reluctance in several Western countries.
The first 2.5 million deaths worldwide were documented in the first two years after the pandemic began, while the next 2.5 million deaths were recorded in little under eight months, noting that even though almost half of the world's population was vaccinated, the death rate has risen significantly.
The United States, Russia, Brazil, Mexico, and India have recorded more than half of all global Covid-19 related deaths.
Over the previous week, an average of 8,000 deaths were recorded daily across the world, or around five deaths per minute. However, the worldwide death rate has been decreasing in recent weeks thanks to rising vaccination rates in different countries.
According to Our World in Data, more than half of the world has yet to get at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The World Health Organization this week said its COVAX distribution program would, for the first time, distribute shots only to countries with the lowest levels of coverage.
Surpassing 700,000 deaths on Friday, the highest toll of any country, the United States has been battling vaccine misinformation that has led around one-third of the population to avoid vaccinations.
Russia, in its turn, reported 887 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, the largest single-day death toll it has recorded since the pandemic began and the fourth day in a row it has set that record. Only 33% of Russia's eligible population has received a first vaccine dose.
It is worth mentioning that the Delta variant is currently the prevalent strain worldwide, having been detected in 187 out of 194 WHO member countries.
