전세계 코로나19 환자 수 100만명 돌파…사망자도 5만명 넘어
An unwelcome milestone has been reached,... but it's one many were fearing would come sooner rather than later.
Countries around the world have now reported more than one-million coronavirus cases as the deadly pandemic continues to spread.
The number of the cases in the U.S. is skyrocketing and experts are now saying the coronavirus death toll in Italy is probably much higher than the confirmed figures.
Choi Jeong-yoon reports.
More than one million people around the world are currently infected, have died from, or have recovered from COVID-19.
This is just three months since the first case was reported in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December of last year.
According to Johns Hopkins University on Friday, more than 180 countries now have cases of the virus.
It only took a week for the number of cases to double from 500-thousand on March 26th...showing how the coronavirus is spreading at an exponential rate.
The global death toll has also surpassed 52-thousand, a figure predicted by the World Health Organization just two days ago.
Among the countries affected by this unseen killer, the United States has the most recorded infections, accounting for around a fifth of the world's cases.
So far more than 240-thousand Americans have contracted the virus.
As a result, the U.S. government is imposing even stronger measures to contain the virus and is cracking down on Americans defying stay-at-home orders.
Close to 40 states have announced self-quarantine orders that are to last for weeks locking down around 90 percent of the country's population.
State governments are also trying to close businesses deemed nonessential that fought tooth and nail to stay open.
Authorities also say individuals who breach shelter-in-place orders could face up to a year behind bars and a five-thousand dollar fine.
Italy, which rapidly emerged as the epicenter of the virus in Europe, has the world's highest death toll...reaching around 14-thousand as of Thursday.
Italy's COVID-19 death rate is also around 12 percent, which is the highest in the world.
However, analysis by the Wall Street Journal says Italy’s coronavirus death toll is likely much higher than official figures indicate.
It says the numbers don't factor in the many people who died without ever being tested for the virus.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.
