Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, recoveries, and deaths worldwide as of April 3, 2020

As of April 3, 2020, there were approximately 1,016,395 global cases of COVID-19. Over 213,133 people had recovered from the disease, while there had been 53,238 deaths. The United States, Italy, and Spain have been the three countries hardest hit by the pandemic.

What are coronaviruses?

Coronaviruses infect humans and cause respiratory illnesses. They frequently infect humans around the world, and people will experience symptoms such as a cold, a cough, or a high temperature. However, it is possible for a coronavirus circulating in animals to evolve and transmit to a human. Recent examples of this include severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, is a new strain of coronavirus that had not previously been identified in humans.

Is there a cure for this new coronavirus?

There are currently no dedicated treatments for COVID-19. While clinical studies take place to develop new drugs, pharmaceutical companies are experimenting to see if older ones can be repurposed. Thanks to prior studies of related coronaviruses, such as SARS and MERS, scientists understand the basic biology of this novel virus, making it possible to decide which current drugs have a chance of success. During the SARS and MERS outbreaks, work began on investigational vaccines but stopped once they were contained. However, the information available provides valuable help in finding a treatment for COVID-19.