COVID-19: Death toll crosses 648,445 globally

WASHINGTON: The number of coronavirus infection cases across the world has surged to 16,202,385 and the pandemic has so far claimed over 648,445 lives.

According to the latest data, 9,913,232 patients have recovered from the pandemic so far. The United States tops with nearly 4,315,709 cases and more than 149,398 deaths followed by Brazil with over 2,396,434 cases and more than 86,496 deaths.

India has reported 1,385,494 cases while 32,096 deaths due to the COVID-19. Over 806,720people have infected while 13,192 people died of the virus in Russia.

The country has the third-highest number of recorded infections in the world. Peru has reported 379,884cases while 18,030 deaths. In Chile, nearly 343,592 cases were confirmed, including 9,020 deaths.

Spain has recorded 28,432 fatalities and 319,501infections. Mexico has reported 43,374 deaths and 385,036 cases. The United Kingdom has reported 45,738 fatalities and 298,681infections.

Meanwhile, the death toll is 15,484 in Iran as a confirmed number of cases are almost 288,839. Italy has 35,102 fatalities, while 245,864 infections. Germany has reported 9,202 deaths and 206,332 infections.

Turkey reported 225,173 coronavirus cases and 5,596fatalities. France has reported 30,192 deaths and 180,528 cases. China has to date declared 4,634 deaths and 83,830 cases, with 78,908 recoveries.

Azerbaijan reported 408 fatalities and 29,633 infections due to coronavirus. Japan has reported 28,786coronavirus cases while 993  deaths.

 Saudi Arabia has reported 264,973 cases of coronavirus, while 2,703 coronavirus deaths have been reported. Germany has reported 206,332 coronavirus cases while 9,202 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.