Global COVID-19 Data Overview as of April 22 2021
By Jadenne Radoc Cabahug
The SARS-CoV-2 Virus, or COVID-19 spread across the world moving fast through population centers and breaking out in various hotspots around the world. It lingered in locations where preventative measures were ignored. Here’s what the data says about how it unfolded around the world:
COVID-19 can be traced to Dec. 31 2019 in Wuhan, China. There have been over a hundred million cases and about 4 billion deaths according to the World Health Organization, the New York Times, the Center for Disease Control, and the UW HGIS map.
The regions with the highest case counts and deaths reported are the Americas, Europe, and South-East Asia. The Eastern-Mediterranean, Africa, and Western Pacific hemispheres follow with smaller case counts and deaths.
COVID-19 can be traced to Dec. 31 2019 in Wuhan, China. There have been over a hundred million cases and about 4 billion deaths according to the World Health Organization, the New York Times, the Center for Disease Control, and the UW HGIS map.
The regions with the highest case counts and deaths reported are the Americas, Europe, and South-East Asia. The Eastern-Mediterranean, Africa, and Western Pacific hemispheres follow with smaller case counts and deaths.
How has the pandemic affected the global population?
In comparison to the global population of 7.9 billion people, the World Health Organization estimated 10% of the world’s population had been infected by coronavirus as of Oct. 2020. In comparison, the current global COVID-19 case count consists of 2 percent of the world population.
For nearly every 316 million people, there are 6 million COVID-19 cases.
For nearly every 316 million people, there are 6 million COVID-19 cases.
Sources: Global COVID-19 data from WHO, UW HGIS map, NYT COVID-19 tracker, World population data from United Nations.
The initial estimated mortality rate of COVID-19 virus is 2%, but it was reported March 3 2021 by the World Health Organization to be about 3.4% mortality rate. The COVID-19 pandemic has killed 0.04% of the population.
What do COVID-19 cases look like by region?
The 2019 Global Health Security Index study by John Hopkins University said the country best equipped to handle a pandemic was the United States, however, the United States comprise a majority of COVID-19 cases and deaths. The COVID-19 case counts and deaths from the United States make up more than half of the reported cases and deaths of the Americas region.
Dr. Evegni Sokurenko said the virus has high virulity and can spread easily by talking to others in close proximity.
Sokurenko is a professor of medical microbiology at the UW School of Medicine. He is the senior author of a study that concluded a single mutation may have caused global COVID-19 variants.
Dr. Evegni Sokurenko said the virus has high virulity and can spread easily by talking to others in close proximity.
Sokurenko is a professor of medical microbiology at the UW School of Medicine. He is the senior author of a study that concluded a single mutation may have caused global COVID-19 variants.
Sources: Data from WHO, UW HGIS map, NYT COVID-19 tracker
Why do countries with higher economic development status have more cases than lower economic development nations?
Ruanne Barnabas, associate professor in the Department of Global Health and Division of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the University of Washington, says that public health inequities between developed and developing nations are stark and it can be seen through global case counts.
One reason for the high case counts could be the politicization of the virus and pandemic countermeasures through media and political polarization in the United States, and other countries.
Ruanne said another reason for this anomaly could be the easy accessibility of COVID-19 testing in developed countries in comparison to developing countries. This is another reason why some nations with high population density have low case and death counts.
One reason for the high case counts could be the politicization of the virus and pandemic countermeasures through media and political polarization in the United States, and other countries.
Ruanne said another reason for this anomaly could be the easy accessibility of COVID-19 testing in developed countries in comparison to developing countries. This is another reason why some nations with high population density have low case and death counts.
The New York Times COVID-19 World Tracker Map World (top map).
Population Density Map from SEDAC Nasa at Columbia University (bottom map).
Population Density Map from SEDAC Nasa at Columbia University (bottom map).
WHAT DOES THIS DATA TELL US ABOUT COVID-19 AROUND THE WORLD?
Ultimately, COVID-19 is an event that calls for international cooperation. While some countries are fortunate enough to see a decrease in cases, other parts around the world are suffering through increased cases, deaths, and the emergence of new variants.
Barnabas and Mokdad both say that if the concept of vaccine nationalism - countries putting domestic vaccination as a top priority over global vaccination - over vaccine equity, it will take much longer to eradicate COVID-19.
Barnabas and Mokdad both say that if the concept of vaccine nationalism - countries putting domestic vaccination as a top priority over global vaccination - over vaccine equity, it will take much longer to eradicate COVID-19.
Unless COVID-19 vaccine equity is made a top priority amongst all nations, the COVID-19 pandemic will never truly be over.