South Africa stands at number 43 with the highest infection rate, among the 204 countries currently battling the coronavirus pandemic. The numbers vary on a daily basis as updates continue to stream in. On Thursday, April 2 we reached a global milestone – in just four months more than one-million people have been infected with COVID-19.
The virus which first surfaced in Wuhan, China has claimed the lives of 54,045 worldwide. Of the 1,026,715 people infected globally, there have been 218,586 who have recovered from it.
This will go down in history as the biggest global public health crisis of our time. South Africa has faired well during this crisis. As of April 2, we have conducted 47,965 tests and 1,462 people have tested positive for the virus. There have been 5 deaths (this changes constantly). Gauteng leads with 663 infected patients in the country, and Western Cape is second with 353 people with coronavirus.
The United States has the highest infection rate currently with 245,380, of which 6,095 people have died. The second highest infection rate is Spain with 117,710 infected and 10,935 deaths. Italy has the third highest, with 115,242 infected and 13,915 fatalities.
On a global scale, South Africa ranks 43rd with the highest infection rate, but also ranks number one with the most coronavirus patients on the African continent.
On Thursday [April 2], Health Minister Zweli Mkhize noted the increase of 82 cases from Wednesday as the largest single-day jump recorded since Sunday [March 30].
According to Bloomberg News, Epidemiologists expect the virus to return later in waves, even after the first outbreaks have been contained. They have compared it to the behaviour of the 1918 flu pandemic.
Picture: Pixabay
