Covid-19 Factoid: Counting the dead - from the US to Punjab and Iran

The US remains the most affected country with over 340,000 cases and the death toll at over 11,000

The global tally for Covid-19 cases is now nearing the 1.4 million mark and more than 76,000 people have lost their lives due to the coronavirus pandemic. Back home, India is inching closer to the tally of 5,000 cases and the death toll has risen to 125. 

The US remains the most affected country, with over 340,000 cases and the deaths now at over 11,000. It has recorded more than 1,000 deaths daily for four straight days.

Here are a few data trends showing the magnitude of the pandemic spread across 181 nations.

#1. The death toll in the US has crossed the 10,000 mark, slower than in Italy and Spain

While the US is the worst affected country globally when it comes to the total number of coronavirus-infected persons, the country’s path to cross the 10,000 deaths has been slower than Italy and Spain. Overall, Italy has the highest number of reported deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic.

#2. Italy has the highest death rate, followed by Netherlands

Despite the progressive growth in the number of deaths due to coronavirus infection in the US, it still fares better than Italy and Spain in terms of death rate. Italy, with over 1,40,000 cases and over 16,000 deaths, has a death rate of over 12 per cent. Italy is followed by Netherlands, with a death rate of around 11 per cent. The US has had a much lower rate of 3 per cent as of now.

#3 Among Indian states, Punjab has the highest death rate

With 91 confirmed Covid-19 cases, Punjab has the highest death rate among Indian states. The death toll in Punjab currently stands at seven, translating into a death rate of 6.9 per cent. Punjab is followed by Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Maharashtra, with the highest number of Covid-19 cases, currently has a death rate of 5 per cent. It is followed by Tamil Nadu and Delhi with 634 and 604 cases, respectively, both with far lower death rates of around 1 per cent.

#4. Iran witnesses decline in new case additions for seven days in a row

Iran, one of the first countries to report exponential growth in coronavirus-infected cases outside of China, is showing some signs of improvement. The country has reported a decline in the number of new cases for seven days consecutively. Iran reported more than 60,000 cases, but a little less than half of those have now recovered. The country’s death toll stands at over 3,500.