US & Brazil are biggest drivers of coronavirus case counts – WHO

The Americas account for 64 percent of officially reported coronavirus deaths around the globe – despite having just 13 percent of the world’s population, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

Covid-19 cases in the Americas have reached almost 11.5 million as the region continues to carry the highest burden of the disease, WHO Regional Director Carissa Etienne said on Tuesday.

Over 400,000 people have died in the region as a result of the pandemic, she added, speaking at a virtual briefing from Washington with other Pan American Health Organization directors.

The biggest drivers of the case counts are the United States and Brazil, she said.

As of Tuesday, the US had 170,575 deaths and 5,460,923 confirmed cases, and Brazil had 108,536 deaths and 3,359,570 cases, according to a Reuters tally.

A week ago, Etienne said the region remained under the coronavirus grip, and half of the daily 100,000 Covid-19 cases across the Americas were in the US.

There were worrisome spikes in countries that had controlled the outbreaks, such as Argentina and Colombia, she said.

If you like this story, share it with a friend!