COVID-19: Death toll crosses 567, 649 globally

WASHINGTON: The number of coronavirus infection cases across the world has surged to 12,842,039 and the pandemic has so far claimed over 567,649 lives.

According to the latest data, 7,478,196 patients have recovered from the pandemic so far. The United States tops with nearly 3,355,646 cases and more than 137,403 deaths followed by Brazil with over 1,840,812 cases and more than 71,492 deaths.

India has reported 850,358 cases while 22,687 deaths due to the COVID-19. Over 720,547 people have infected while 11,205people died of the virus in Russia.

The country has the third-highest number of recorded infections in the world. Peru has reported 322,710 cases while 11,682 deaths. In Chile, nearly 312,029 cases were confirmed, including 6,881deaths.

Spain has recorded 28,403 fatalities and 300,988 infections. Mexico has reported 34,730 deaths and 295,268 cases. The United Kingdom has reported 44,798 fatalities and288,953 infections.

Meanwhile, the death toll is 12,635 in Iran as a confirmed number of cases are almost 255,117. Italy has 34,945 fatalities, while 242,827 infections. Germany has reported 9,134 deaths and 199,812 infections.

Turkey reported 211,981coronavirus cases and 5,344 fatalities. France has reported 30,004deaths and 170,752cases.

China has to date declared 4,634 deaths and 83,594cases, with 78,634 recoveries. Azerbaijan reported 298 fatalities and 23,521infections due to coronavirus.

Japan has reported 21,129coronavirus cases while 982 deaths. Saudi Arabia has reported 229,480cases of coronavirus, while 2,181 coronavirus deaths have been reported. Germany has reported 199,812coronavirus cases while 9,134 deaths.

Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics is in talks with Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia to launch a Phase III trial of its experimental COVID-19 vaccine, its co-founder said on Saturday.

China’s success in driving down COVID-19 infections has made it harder to conduct large-scale vaccine trials, and so far only a few countries have agreed to work with it.

“We are contacting and Russia, Brazil, Chile and Saudi Arabia (for the Phase III trial) and it’s still in discussion,” Qiu Dongxu, executive director and co-founder of CanSino, told an anti-viral drug development conference in Suzhou, in eastern China.

He said its Phase III trials were likely to start “pretty soon,” and the company plans to recruit 40,000 participants for the tests.