JAKARTA - The global death toll from COVID-19 has exceeded one million. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases touched 33 million. The WHO believes these figures do not represent the actual higher number of cases or deaths.
WHO's senior emergency expert, Mike Ryan, revealed this at a press conference in Geneva, Monday, September 28. "If anything, the numbers currently reported may reflect a miscalculation, whether it concerns individuals infected with COVID-19 or those who died because of it," he said.
"When you count anything, you can't count it perfectly. But I can assure you that the current number is likely to be smaller than the real number of COVID-19 victims."
One million deaths and 33 million confirmed global cases were recorded in the Johns Hopkins University data published yesterday. The United States (US) is the country worst hit by COVID-19 with 7.1 million confirmed cases and 205 thousand deaths.
After the US, Brazil followed with 4.7 million cases and 142 thousand deaths. India is the next country on the top list. It recorded more cases than Brazil, which is six million cases, India recorded a lower death ratio: 95 thousand people. Turkey and China are the two countries that have also been badly affected. 315,800 cases were recorded in Turkey with a death toll of 8,062. In China, 4,700 of the total 90 thousand cases died
Detailing the total death toll at 1,000,555, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the number was a "painful milestone." Guterres also called it a "mind-numbing number."
"Noting that those who died were fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, brothers and sisters, friends and colleagues, the pain has multiplied with the savagery of this disease."
"How do you say goodbye without holding hands, or give a soft kiss, a warm hug, the final whisper of 'I love you?'" Guterres.
Guterres further said that the spread of the virus still shows no signs of ending. Meanwhile, many people have lost their jobs, their education has been disrupted, and they have experienced various life struggles.
Hope ahead
To date, there are more than 170 vaccine candidates whose development is continuously being monitored by WHO. Of these, 142 vaccine candidates are in the preclinical phase and have not been tested in humans. Meanwhile, 29 candidates of whom are in Phase 1 and tested on a small scale, 18 candidates are in Phase 2 with increased security, and nine candidates have been in Phase 3 and tested on a large scale.
However, no vaccine has yet been approved for general use. China has used an experimental COVID-19 vaccine on thousands of people since July through an emergency program, and currently has eleven vaccines in clinical trials and four in Phase 3.
Turkish doctors on Monday, September 29 gave health workers the first injection of the coronavirus vaccine, as Istanbul University's Cerrahpasa Medical School had started its Phase 3 trials.The WHO estimates that worldwide wide vaccination can be carried out as early as mid-2021.
Until a successful vaccination is developed and distributed around the world, a recent study showed that Vitamin D can reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection and the risk of death for those who carry the virus.
"It is recommended that improving vitamin D status in the general population and in particular hospitalized patients has a potential benefit in reducing the severity of morbidity and mortality associated with COVID-19 transmission," according to a study conducted by 11 researchers and published in the science journal PLOS One on Friday. , 25 September.
Foods with the highest sources of vitamin D are fish, beef liver, cheese, egg yolks. Everyone needs 1,000-1,300 milligrams of vitamin D each day, according to WebMD.com.
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