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The coronavirus has killed at least 1 million people worldwide

Yelena Dzhanova   

The coronavirus has killed at least 1 million people worldwide
LifeScience2 min read
  • At least 1 million people have died from the coronavirus worldwide, according to the latest data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
  • Americans account for about 20% of that number, according to the Johns Hopkins data.
  • COVID-19 was declared a pandemic on March 11 — merely 201 days ago.

Reaching yet another grim milestone, the number of known coronavirus deaths has reached 1 million worldwide, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University on Monday.

The US, with more than 205,000 deaths, has the largest chunk of that figure, accounting for about one-fifth of the worldwide death toll. Brazil follows with more than 141,000 recorded deaths, and India is next with nearly 96,000.

The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a pandemic on March 11 — merely 201 days ago.

DataTicker - Covid 19 Global and US

The disease has killed more Americans than every war US troops have died in since 1945 combined, Business Insider's John Haltiwanger reported. The leading cause of death for Americans, heart disease, typically kills fewer than 650,000 people a year in the US.

The pandemic has created uncertainty and instability, leading to roiled markets, shuttering many small businesses nationwide, and forcing the world to adapt to a new normal.

For nearly seven months, people have been learning to live under once unfamiliar laws and recommendations from health officials. Quarantining, practicing physical distancing, and wearing masks have become standard in most countries. As the numbers of confirmed coronavirus cases and deaths continue to rise, health officials are predicting that these practices will remain the new norm until deep into 2021 and possibly 2022.

Scientists and pharmaceutical companies have been racing to create a vaccine to prevent COVID-19. But it will take more time to release safe and effective shots — and even longer to inoculate enough of the global population to achieve herd immunity.

US President Donald Trump has said a vaccine could be ready by the 2020 presidential election. But US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield has said he anticipates a vaccine being widely available no earlier than 2021.

Treatments for COVID-19 have improved in the past six months. Pharmaceutical companies are reporting positive results from several drugs to improve the outcomes of patients with severe symptoms.

Since the disease is so new, however, we still don't know the long-term effects it could have. Thousands of so-called long haulers have reported symptoms — including fevers, brain fog, memory loss, nosebleeds, shortness of breath, and blurry vision — more than 100 days later.

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