Covid-19: US braces for up to 240,000 likely deaths from the worst global crisis since WW-II

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US braces for up to 240,000 likely deaths from the worst global crisis since WW-II. (Photo courtesy: AP)

(TibetanReview.net, Apr01’20) – The worst global crisis since World War II, as the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it on Mar 31, continues to skyrocket as the Covid-19 pandemic infections crossed 860,000 worldwide, with more than 42,000 fatalities. The now-worst affected country, the USA, projects that anywhere up to 240,000 of its citizens could be killed by this pandemic even with mitigating efforts. President Donald Trump on Mar 31 warned Americans to brace for a “hell of a bad two weeks”.

The worst affected countries have either exceeded or are in the process of exceeding China in the number of infections and deaths, even though each has a population that is only a fraction of the latter’s.

In India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has reported the largest single-day increase in the number of infection as of Apr 1 at 10 AM. It now has a total of 1,466 infections and 38 deaths, compared to the previous day’s totals of 1,251 and 32 respectively. The cumulative total of those cured/discharged/migrated was reported to be 133.

Maharashtra is now the worst affected state with 302 (+104) infections, followed by Kerala with a total of 241 (+39) infections, Tamil Nadu with 124 (+57) with infections, Delhi with 120 (+33) infections, Uttar Pradesh with 103 (+21) infections, and Karnataka with 101 (+18) cases.

Other badly hit states/Union Territories  included Telangana, 94 (+23); Rajasthan 93; Andhra Pradesh, 83 (+60); Gujarat, 74 (+5); Punjab, 41 (+3); Jammu & Kashmir, 55 (+7); Madhya Pradesh, 47; Haryana 43 (+7); West Bengal 26 (+4); Ladakh, 13 (+0), Bihar, 23 (+8); Chandigarh, 13; and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 10.

Besides, Chattisgarh (9), Goa (5), Himachal Pradesh (3), Manipur (1), Mizoram (1), Odisha (4), Puducherry (1), and Uttarakhand (7) have reported infections.

Maharashtra had the most number of deaths at 9, followed by Gujarat at 6; Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, and Telangana at 3 each; Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala and West Bengal at 2 each. Besides, Bihar, HP, and Tamil Nadu had 1 death each thus far.

(Source: https://www.mohfw.gov.in/)

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Across the world the countries with more than 1000 cumulative infections as of Apr 1 were 189,633 US; 105,792 Italy; 95,923 Spain; 82,301 China; 71,808 Germany; 52,836 France; 44,605 Iran; 25,481 United Kingdom; 16,605 Switzerland; 13,531 Turkey; 12,775 Belgium; 12,667 Netherlands; 10,192 Austria; 9,887 Korea, South; 8,591 Canada; 7,443 Portugal; 5,812 Brazil; 5,591 Israel; 4,709 Australia; 4,643 Norway; 4,435 Sweden; 3,330 Czechia; 3,235 Ireland; 3,039 Denmark; 2,766 Malaysia; 2,738 Chile; 2,337 Russia; 2,311 Poland; 2,302 Ecuador; 2,245 Romania; 2,178 Japan; 2,178 Luxembourg; 2,084 Philippines; 2,042 Pakistan; 1,771 Thailand; 1,590 India; 1,563 Saudi Arabia; 1,528 Indonesia; 1,418 Finland; 1,353 South Africa; 1,314 Greece; 1,215 Mexico; 1,181 Panama; ,135 Iceland; 1,109 Dominican Republic; 1,065 Peru; 1,054 Argentina.

Other countries with 100 or more infections were reported to be 926 Singapore; 906 Colombia; 900 Serbia; 867 Croatia; 802 Slovenia; 781 Qatar; 745 Estonia; 716 Algeria; 712 Diamond Princess; 710 Egypt; 708 New Zealand; 694 Iraq; 664 United Arab Emirates; 645 Ukraine; 617 Morocco; 581 Lithuania; 567 Bahrain; 532 Armenia; 525 Hungary; 463 Lebanon; 420 Bosnia and Herzegovina; 412 Bulgaria; 398 Latvia; 394 Tunisia; 376 Andorra; 369 Kazakhstan; 363 Slovakia; 353 Moldova; 347 Costa Rica; 338 Uruguay; 329 North Macedonia; 322 Taiwan*; 298 Azerbaijan; 289 Kuwait; 274 Jordan; 262 Cyprus; 261 Burkina Faso; 243 Albania; 236 San Marino; 223 Cameroon; 212 Vietnam; 196 Afghanistan; 192 Oman; 186 Cuba; 179 Cote d’Ivoire; 175 Senegal; 173 Uzbekistan; 172 Honduras; 169 Malta; 163 Belarus; 161 Ghana; 143 Mauritius; 143 Sri Lanka; 143 Venezuela; 139 Nigeria; 129 Brunei; 119 West Bank and Gaza; 115 Bolivia; 112 Kosovo; 110 Georgia; 109 Cambodia; 109 Montenegro; 107 Kyrgyzstan.

Concerning the countries or cities with 100 or more deaths, the figures were shown to be 12,428 Italy; 8,464 Spain; 3,523 France; 3,187 Hubei China; 2,898 Iran; 1,789 United Kingdom; 1,096 New York City; 1,039 Netherlands; 775 Germany; 705 Belgium; 433 Switzerland; 396 Unassigned New York US; 214 Turkey; 202 Brazil; 180 Sweden; 165 Korea, South; 160 Portugal; 150 King Washington US; 136 Indonesia; 128 Austria; 120 Wayne Michigan US; and 101 Orleans Louisiana US.

(Source: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html)

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In China, the National Health Commission has said Apr 1that the mainland had one domestically transmitted new infection on Mar 31, but 35 what it called imported additional infections, taking the total of such imports to 691 as of Mar 31-end. Seven were reported to have died on Mar 31.

Mainland China also reported 26 new suspected cases, taking the total of such cases to 172.

Of the mainland’s total reported confirmed cases of 81,554 as of Mar 31-end, 2,004 were still being treated, 76,238 had been discharged after recovery, and 3,312 had died of the disease, reported the official chinadaily.com.cn Apr1.

The total of number of severe cases was reported to be 466, a decline by 62 over the previous day’s total.

(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)

There have been persistent reports about the number of infections and deaths in China being much higher than those reported by the government. To partly address this, China has decided to include in its reports the non-symptomatic infections.

Crematoriums in Wuhan were report to have been working round the clock, putting the estimate of those who had died from the Covid-19 infection at at least 40,000 as against the government’s reported figure of 3,312 for the whole country thus far.

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