COVID-19 cases, recoveries, deaths in most impacted countries as of Apr. 16, 2021

As of April 16, 2021, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been confirmed in almost every country and territory around the world. There had been around 140 million cases and three million deaths.

Vaccine approval in the United States

The United States has recorded more coronavirus infections and deaths than any other country in the world. The regulatory agency in the country has authorized two COVID-19 vaccines for emergency use. Both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines were approved in December 2020. As of April 15, 2021, the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the U.S. had reached around 198 million.

The difference between vaccines and antivirals

Medications can help with the symptoms of viruses, but it is the role of the immune system to take care of them over time. However, the use of vaccines and antivirals can help the immune system in doing its job. The most tried and tested vaccine method is to inject an inactive or weakened form of a virus, encouraging the immune system to produce protective antibodies. The immune system keeps the virus in its memory, and if the real one appears, the body will recognize it and attack it more efficiently. Antivirals are designed to help target viruses, limiting their ability to reproduce and spread to other cells. They are used by patients who are already infected by a virus and can make the infection less severe.