Global Covid cases near 273 million

Prothom Alo English Desk

The overall number of coronavirus cases is fast approaching 273 million, as scientists around the world race to learn about the Omicron variant’s transmissibility and severity, UNB reports.

According to Johns Hopkins University (JHU), the total case count mounted to 272,860,151 while the death toll from the virus reached 5,335,758 on Friday morning.

The US has recorded 50,511,161 cases so far and more than 803,633 people have died from the virus in the country, the university data shows.

The US is seeing a double coronavirus surge as the rapidly spreading Omicron variant ads with the ongoing Delta surge in the country, reports AP.

Globally, more than 75 countries have reported confirmed cases of Omicron. In the United States, 36 states have detected the variant. Meanwhile, Delta is surging in many places, with hot spots in New England and the upper Midwest. The five states with the highest two-week rolling average of cases per 100,000 people are New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Michigan, Minnesota and Vermont.

Brazil, which has been experiencing a new wave of cases since January, registered 22,204,941 cases as of Friday, while its Covid death toll rose to 617,521.

India has registered 7,974 new cases of Covid-19 during a 24-hour period, bringing the total caseload to 34,721,174, as per the health ministry figures released Thursday.

The ministry also reported 343 more deaths during the same period, taking the total death toll to 476,478.

Besides, India’s total tally of the Omicron variant reached 87 as of Friday morning.

In Britain, where Omicron cases are doubling every two to three days, the variant is expected to soon replace Delta as the dominant strain in the country.

The UK on Wednesday recorded the highest number of confirmed new Covid infections since the pandemic began, and England’s chief medical officer warned that the situation is likely to get worse as Omicron drives a new wave of illness during the holidays.

The UK, as of Thursday morning, logged 11,161,236 Covid-19 cases, while the fatalities mounted to 147,391.

Situation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh reported three more Covid deaths, with 257 fresh cases in 24 hours till Thursday morning.

With the latest cases, the daily case positivity rate declined to 1.02 per cent from Wednesday’s 1.05 per cent, said the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

The total fatalities rose to 28,041 while the caseload mounted to 1,580,559 with the fresh ones.

Two of the latest deceased were men and one was a woman. The deceased are from Dhaka, Chattogram, and Khulna divisions.

Meanwhile, the mortality rate remained static at 1.77 per cent during the period.

The fresh cases were detected after testing 285,203 samples, said the directorate.

Besides, the recovery rate stood at 97.76 per cent with the recovery of 181 more patients during the 24-hour period.

On 9 December, Bangladesh again logged zero Covid death after nearly three weeks as the pandemic was apparently showing signs of easing.

The country reported this year’s first zero Covid death in a single day on 20 November along with 178 infections since the pandemic broke out in Bangladesh in March 2020.

Bangladesh reported the highest number of daily fatalities of 264 on 5 August this year, while the highest daily caseload was 16,230 on 28 July this year.

So far, 44,162,695 people have fully been vaccinated in the country, while 67,470,049 received the first dose as of Tuesday, according to the directorate.

Among them, 270,304 students, aged from 12-17, have fully been vaccinated, while 1,588,886 students received the first dose so far.