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Coronavirus could kill more than 2 million people by the end of the year, researchers say
- It’s accelerating because the virus is so infectious and control measures aren’t coordinated and systematic, according to health expert
- Northern hemisphere could see a spike in cases as it moves into winter and flu season
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Nine months into the coronavirus pandemic, the global death toll hit 1 million last week – but health researchers say that number could more than double in the next three months.
And as it goes into winter and the flu season, the northern hemisphere could see a sharp rise in cases.
On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said its “best estimates” indicated that roughly one in 10 people worldwide – more than 20 times the number of confirmed cases – may have been infected by the virus that causes the disease Covid-19. It warned of a difficult period ahead.
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By the end of the year, some 2.3 million people could have died from the disease, according to an estimate by the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
That level of acceleration “makes sense”, said Janet Hatcher Roberts, co-director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Knowledge Translation and Health Technology Assessment in Health Equity.
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Worldwide Covid-19 death toll surpasses 1 million
Worldwide Covid-19 death toll surpasses 1 million
“It is accelerating given the normal spread of an epidemic and the fact that this virus is so infectious,” she said. “It makes sense because we are not strictly following control measures in a coordinated and systematic fashion. This leaves holes in our ability to respond to an epidemic.”
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