Coronavirus: Number of global cases approaches one million mark

WHO ‘deeply concerned’ by accelerating spread of Covid-19

The global figure for confirmed cases of coronavirus is set to surpass the one million mark in the coming days, the World Health Organisation has said.

As of Thursday morning, 937,783 people had tested positive for Covid-19, while 47,261 worldwide deaths had been reported, according to a tally from the Johns Hopkins University.

The real figures are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, differences in counting the dead and large numbers of mild cases that have gone unreported.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, has said he is “deeply concerned” by the “near exponential” growth in the number of confirmed cases across the globe.

“As we enter the fourth month since the start of the pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection,” he said on Wednesday.

“Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new Covid-19 cases, reaching almost every country, territory and area.

“The number of deaths has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed Covid-19 cases and 50,000 deaths.”

In Europe, countries are facing extraordinary demand for intensive care beds, with authorities in Spain, Italy and the UK forced to construct makeshift hospitals.

Spain reported a record 864 deaths on Wednesday, taking the country’s death toll beyond 9,000, while more than 4,000 people have died in France since the outbreak.

In Italy, which has so far recorded 13,155 deaths, mortuaries have been overwhelmed with bodies and coffins left to pile up in churches, although health authorities said on Tuesday that the country’s outbreak is slowing after three weeks of lockdown.

Meanwhile, scientists offered more evidence on Wednesday that the virus can be spread by seemingly healthy people who show no clear symptoms, leading the US government to issue new guidance warning that anyone exposed to the disease can be considered a potential carrier.

America’s death toll stands at 5,138, after 884 people died over the course of 24 hours – a new daily record for the country. More than 216,000 Americans have been infected.

The US has suffered the third greatest loss of life during the pandemic, behind Italy and Spain, but more than China.

Many countries are modelling their response on the Chinese approach, after the entire Hubei province, the epicentre of the pandemic, was placed into an unprecedented and draconian lockdown.

Beijing says the measures have been a success, with nearly all new cases of the virus imported from abroad.

As countries elsewhere continue to tackle the outbreak, the WHO has said it must be a priority for frontline health workers to be able to access personal protective equipment (PPE), including medical masks and respirators.

“That’s why we are continuing to work with governments and manufacturers to step-up the production and distribution of personal protective equipment, including masks,” Dr Ghebreyesus said.

He also called on the international community to have debt relief to support developing countries “to enable them to take care of their people and avoid economic collapse”.

Stressing that there were a number of unknowns surrounding the virus, he added: “Let’s accept things with an open mind and trust what is coming.”