Worldwide Covid death toll hits 2.5 million as fatalities slow down

25 February 2021, 18:44 | Updated: 25 February 2021, 18:48

The worldwide coronavirus death toll has topped 2.5 million
The worldwide coronavirus death toll has topped 2.5 million. Picture: PA
Nick Hardinges

By Nick Hardinges

The worldwide coronavirus death toll has hit 2.5 million but the number of new fatalities appears to be slowing down.

Data gathered by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic shows that the grim milestone was reached on Thursday afternoon.

It comes just a year after the onset of the outbreak and as countries around the world begin ramping up their vaccine efforts.

The total number of deaths attributed to the virus is greater than the combined populations of Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, or almost 30 per cent higher than the population of Northern Ireland.

For months, the US has been the worst-hit country in terms of both deaths and cases.

The country has recorded more than 506,000 deaths, which is more than double the tally of Brazil - nearly 250,000 - which lies in second.

Read more: US becomes first country to hit more than 500,000 Covid deaths

Read more: UK Covid alert level drops from 5 to 4 as threat to NHS recedes

The US has recorded the highest number of coronavirus deaths of any country in the world
The US has recorded the highest number of coronavirus deaths of any country in the world. Picture: PA

The USA's total equates to roughly 20 per cent of the global death toll, despite it making up around five per cent of the world's population.

Mexico, India and the UK make up the rest of the top five, with Britain having the worst death toll in Europe and being the continent's only nation to have surpassed 100,000 fatalities.

Some countries have been hailed for their efforts in combating the virus, with New Zealand recording just four deaths in the past six months and Taiwan seeing just nine deaths throughout the entire pandemic, according to JHU.

On Wednesday, officials at the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Covid deaths had fallen by 20 per cent last week, suggesting the worst of the outbreak could be behind some nations.

However, experts believe the current global tally may be somewhat higher than reported due to a lack of testing in some parts of the world.

Read more: Ireland extends highest Covid lockdown restrictions to 5 April

Read more: EU leaders hold virtual summit to address vaccine delays

Former Chief Science Adviser tips 2022 to be year the world moves on

But with vaccines being rolled out across the planet - mostly in Europe and North America - there are some signs that the pandemic is slowing.

The US has recorded more than 28.3 million cases of the virus, which is just below the combined total of the next four countries combined - India (11 million), Brazil (10.3 million), the UK (4.2 million) and Russia (4.2 million).

On Monday, the States became the first nation to hit more than half a million fatalities.

This figure almost matches the total number of Americans killed in the Second World War, the Korean War and the War in Vietnam combined.

It also roughly equates to the population of Kansas City, Missouri, and is greater than the population of Miami, Florida.

Experts also believe the country's true tally is significantly higher, in part because of the many cases that have been overlooked, especially early in the outbreak.

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