Global death toll from COVID-19 passes 400,000
London: The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 has surpassed 400,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University that health experts say is still an undercount because many who died were not tested for the virus.
The milestone was reached Sunday, a day after the Brazilian government stopped publishing a running total of coronavirus deaths and infections. Critics called the move an extraordinary attempt to hide the true toll of the disease rampaging through Latin America’s largest nation.
Brazil’s last official numbers recorded over 34,000 virus-related deaths, the third-highest toll in the world behind the US and Britain.
Worldwide, at least 6.9 million people have been infected by the virus, according to Johns Hopkins. The US has seen nearly 110,000 confirmed virus-related deaths and Europe has recorded over 175,000 since the virus emerged in China late last year.
China reports 11 new coronavirus cases
Beijing: China has reported 11 new coronavirus cases, including five asymptomatic patients, taking the total number of COVID-19 infections in the country to 83,036, according to the health authority.
The National Health Commission (NHC) on Saturday said that no deaths related to the disease were reported.
Six new confirmed cases and five asymptomatic cases were reported, it said.
The NHC said that 236 asymptomatic cases, including 154 in Wuhan, were under medical observation.
Asymptomatic cases, also known as silent spreaders, are the patients who have tested COVID-19 positive but develop no symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat. However, they pose a risk of spreading the contagion to others.
As of Saturday, the overall confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland reached 83,036, including 70 who are being treated.
As many as 78,332 people have been discharged after recovery.
Altogether 4,634 people died of the disease in the country, the NHC added.
