Global Covid caseload tops 260.5 mn, deaths surge to more than 5.18 mn

The global coronavirus caseload has topped 260.5 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 5.18 million and vaccination to over 7.55 billion, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Saturday morning, the University's Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload, death toll and the total number of vaccine doses administered stood at 260,573,629, 5,188,428 and 7,553,094,809, respectively.

The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world's highest number of cases and deaths at 48,177,907 and 776,349, respectively according to the CSSE.

The second worst hit country in terms of cases is India (34,555,431 infections and 467,468 deaths), followed by Brazil (22,067,630 infections and 613,957 deaths).

The other worst countries with over 5 million cases are the UK (10,125,945), Russia (9,337,575), Turkey (8,702,611), France (7,654,128), Iran (6,102,056), Germany (5,695,472), Argentina (5,324,039), Spain (5,131,012) and Colombia (5,060,557), the CSSE figures showed.

Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are Mexico (293,449), Russia (265,134), Peru (200,987), the UK (145,036), Indonesia (143,796), Italy (133,537), Iran (129,462), Colombia (128,343), France (119,818) and Argentina (116,505).