As of April 16, 2021, almost 140 million cases had been recorded worldwide. The United States had the highest number of COVID-19 cases, followed by Brazil and India. Sadly, the number of coronavirus-related fatalities was close to three million, and the U.S. is the country with the most COVID-19 deaths worldwide. In addition to the pandemic’s direct damage, the impact of COVID-19 on mental health has been considerable due to social distancing and lockdown measures.
The status of COVID-19 vaccination rates
As of April 15, 2021, the number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered worldwide had reached over 848 million. The countries that had administered the most vaccinations were the United States, China, and India. However, when looking at COVID-19 vaccination rates worldwide, the leading countries are Israel and the United Arab Emirates. Although the United States government has been criticized for its handling of the pandemic, its vaccination rollout has been successful. Elsewhere, the number of COVID-19 vaccination doses administered in Europe is steadily increasing after a frustratingly slow start. Wealthier countries have been accused of securing more than their fair share of vaccines, and there is fear that poorer countries will not have access to the supply that they need to curb the escalating pandemic within their borders. The two leading COVID-19 vaccines by reach are those developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca.The COVID-19 situation in the United States
As of April 15, 2021, the number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. were over 31 million and 561,356, respectively, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. New York was initially hit hardest by the pandemic, but the current situation shows that California, Texas, and Florida have the highest number of COVID-19 cases by state. Furthermore, California, New York, and Texas have reported the highest number of deaths from the disease. However, when considering population size, New York and New Jersey have the highest COVID-19 death rates by state. Like many other countries, the United States enacted lockdown measures and restrictions to curb the pandemic. At the end of March 2020, it was estimated that over 90 percent of the population was under a stay-at-home order. Many states canceled public events, encouraged social distancing, and closed schools, restaurants, and other entertainment venues. However, with case numbers falling, states began lifting lockdown restrictions and reopening the economy, which led to the number of new coronavirus cases in the United States rising sharply in late October / early November 2020. Positive infections have fallen since the start of the year, perhaps in part due to an immunization drive that has seen very high numbers of COVID-19 vaccinations distributed and administered in the United States.The timeline of the coronavirus
Coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19 for short, is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It is part of a large family of coronaviruses (CoV), which are transmitted from animals to people. Symptoms of COVID-19 resemble that of the common cold, with those infected often experiencing fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. However, in more severe cases, infection can lead to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and even death. The exact source of the virus remains unclear, but it is thought to have originated from a seafood market in the city of Wuhan in China. A report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the end of March 2021 was the first from the international public health agency to investigate the origins of the virus. The report states the virus probably started spreading no more than a month or two before it was noticed in December 2019. The report added that transmission from one animal to another and then to humans was the most likely scenario. However, the United States, along with other countries including the United Kingdom and South Korea, have criticized the report for being delayed and stating the WHO did not have access to complete or original data and samples from China.
