More than 200,000 deaths due to COVID-19 in Africa

Africa’s 200,000 deaths from the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic were surpassed on Tuesday, as the impoverished continent faces a severe shortage of vaccines and less than 3% of its population has been fully immunized to date.

The 54 countries of the continent, which are considered to have suffered less severe damage compared to the rest of the world, did not experience the catastrophic scenarios mentioned when the health crisis broke out, recorded 200,254 deaths due to COVID-19 until yesterday. based on the French Agency count, which is based on official government reports.

After several particularly deadly months – 27,000 deaths in July, 26,000 in August – the pandemic spread seems to have slowed on the continent for a few weeks. Africa currently has around 617 deaths due to COVID-19 on a daily basis, compared to 990 at the end of July, a record level.

However, the figures published by each country’s health authority or the World Health Organization (WHO) are considered to represent only a fraction of SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 deaths.

The WHO emphasizes that given the surplus mortality directly and indirectly linked to the pandemic, the global death toll could be as much as three times that of the official record.

In Africa more than anywhere else the numbers of infections and deaths are considered underestimated.

“Examination is scarce on the continent,” explains South African scientist Gleda Davidson. The deaths that are often reported are approximate or inaccurate, he adds.

The recent recession on a continental scale is attributed to the reduction of cases in the countries that have suffered the most.

In South Africa, the country that has been officially hit hardest, with 83,899 deaths from COVID-19, an average of 7,400 cases and 234 deaths were reported daily in the last seven days, compared to 20,000 infections and 420 deaths a day. on July.

Mexico: 1,071 deaths and nearly 15,800 cases in 24 hours

The Mexican Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 1,071 patients had been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 24 hours and 15,784 cases of SARS-CoV-2 had been diagnosed.

With 264,541 deaths since it occurred in its territory until yesterday, the country of 126 million inhabitants records the 4th heaviest report of the pandemic of the new coronavirus worldwide in absolute terms. The recorded cases have reached 3,449,295, according to the ministry, but they are considered underestimated.

Iran: 635 deaths and more than 27,000 cases in 24 hours

The Iranian Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 27,138 cases of SARS-CoV-2 had been diagnosed in the past 24 hours and 635 patients with COVID-19 had died.

The pandemic of the new coronavirus in the Islamic Republic reached 111,892 dead from its outbreak in February 2020 until yesterday, out of a total of 5,184,124 infections, according to official data.

7,606 patients with COVID-19 are being treated in the intensive care units (ICU) of Iranian hospitals.

As of yesterday, in the country of approximately 83 million inhabitants, more than 19.98 million people had received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, but 10.35 million of them the second.

Authorities are working to speed up the immunization campaign amid the so-called 5th wave of the pandemic, which is attributed to the most contagious Delta variant.

Turkey: 274 deaths and over 23,600 cases in 24 hours

The Turkish Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 23,638 SARS-CoV-2 infections had been confirmed in the past 24 hours following 304,864 tests, bringing the total number of reported cases to 6,542,654.

The deaths of 274 patients with COVID-19 increased the death toll to 58,651 dead as of yesterday, March 11, 2020, when the new coronavirus pandemic broke out in Turkish territory.

Since the immunization campaign was launched in Turkey on 14 January, 50.32 million people have received the first dose of vaccine, 38.97 million have received the second dose, and a total of more than 98.82 million have been given, including third, boosters, according to Ministry.

Italy: 71 deaths and over 4,700 cases in 24 hours

The Italian Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 71 patients with COVID-19 had died in the previous 24 hours, compared to 52 the previous day, while the number of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 increased to 4,720, from 3,361 a day earlier, on total of 318,865 tests.

With 129,638 deaths due to the new coronavirus pandemic since it broke out in the country in February 2020 until yesterday, Italy, with a population of 60 million, has the 2nd highest official death toll in Europe, after Britain, and the 8th highest in the world. A total of 4.58 million infections have been diagnosed.

The number of patients being treated in hospitals with COVID-19 – excluding those admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) – rose marginally to 4,307 yesterday, up from 4,302 a day earlier.

In the ICU, 40 patients were admitted, compared to 32 the previous year. The total number of patients admitted to the ICU decreased to 563, from 570 one day earlier.

Philippines: Over 18,000 cases and 161 deaths in 24 hours

The Philippine Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday that 18,012 cases of SARS-CoV-2 had been confirmed in the laboratory in the past 24 hours and 161 patients had succumbed to COVID-19.

The new coronavirus pandemic in the archipelago of about 110 million inhabitants has reached 34,498 deaths out of a total of 2,121,308 infections.

The representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the country, Rabindra Abejasinge, urged the authorities to increase the tests to identify outbreaks. It is not enough to test only the close contacts of confirmed cases, he explained.

The Manila metropolitan area records the most cases during the current wave of infections, which is attributed to the highly contagious Delta variant.

Despite the continuing outbreak of the pandemic, the government of President Rodrigo Duterte announced that it had decided to lift the lockdown in the metropolitan area of ​​the capital (13 million inhabitants) and replace it with more local measures.

As of Monday, more than 36 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been given, with more than 15 million residents fully vaccinated. Authorities have set a target of immunizing 70 million people a year.