COVID-19: STILL A DEADLY KILLER

Pandemic has killed 1.17 million people so far in 2022; over 356 million have been infected

- Arvind Jayaram

The coronavirus continues to be a silent killer in 2022, with an average of over one million people across the world infected with the virus every day this year, while another 1.17 million have died thus far.

Over 356 million people caught Covid-19 between Jan 1 and Dec 4, more than the 289 million infections in the first two years of the pandemic combined.

Total infections have crossed 645 million over the span of the virus' known history, while the total death toll now exceeds 6.6 million, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University and Our World in Data.

but less variant, The highly transmissible deadly Covid-19 Omicron which emerged just over a year ago, led to soaring infections and more deaths in 2022, even as economies around the world reopened after almost two years of bruising curbs on normal life.

But there are two positive signs: One, the data indicates that there has been a global decline in reported cases and deaths over the course of the year.

Second, the mortality rate the percentage of people who died after contracting the disease - has fallen sharply from around 3 per cent at the start of the pandemic to 1.03 per cent currently.

However, a World Health Organisation (WHO) spokesman cautioned: "There is no guarantee these trends will persist. The most dangerous thing is to assume they will." Infections and deaths, while dipping, remain high, and the evolution of the virus is unpredictable.

Pockets of under-vaccination among those most at risk and inequitable access to treatments are other concerns, the spokesman said.

"The WHO continues to call on all governments, communities and individuals to remain vigilant."