Coronavirus pandemic: Tracking the global outbreak

Coronavirus is continuing its spread across the world, with more than seven million confirmed cases in 188 countries. More than 420,000 people have lost their lives.

This series of maps and charts tracks the global outbreak of the virus since it emerged in China in December last year.

How many cases and deaths have there been?

The virus, which causes the respiratory infection Covid-19, was first detected in the city of Wuhan, China, in late 2019.

It then spread quickly across the globe in the first months of 2020.

Note: The map and table in this page use a different source for figures for France from that used by Johns Hopkins University, which results in a slightly lower overall total. US figures do not include Puerto Rico, Guam or the US Virgin Islands

The US has by far the largest number of cases – now more than two million and more than 25% of the global total – according to figures collated by Johns Hopkins University. It also has the world’s highest death toll, followed by the UK and Brazil.

In China, the official death toll is some 4,600 from about 84,000 confirmed cases, although critics have questioned whether the country’s official numbers can be trusted.

Globally, the true number of cases is thought to be much higher than the reported figures, as many of those with milder symptoms have not been tested and counted.

The outbreak was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March. This is when an infectious disease is passing easily from person to person in many parts of the world at the same time.

The WHO has warned that the pandemic is a long way from being over and says people should be prepared for new outbreaks to build up very quickly – especially in areas where lockdowns are eased.

Globally, at least 4.5 billion people – half the world’s population – were living under social distancing measures at the height of the pandemic in Europe, according to the AFP news agency’s estimates.

Those restrictions have had a big impact on the global economy, with the International Monetary Fund warning the world faces the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The United Nations World Food Programme has also warned that the pandemic could almost double the number of people suffering acute hunger.

Where are coronavirus cases still rising?

While some countries are starting to see confirmed cases and deaths fall following strict lockdown restrictions, others are still seeing figures rise.

A sharp increase in cases in Latin America in the second half of May led the WHO to say the Americas were the new centre of the pandemic. But there have also been new spikes in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

These charts show four countries – Brazil, Mexico, India and Pakistan – where deaths have been on an upward trajectory – as shown by the red lines.

Peru, Mexico, Chile and Ecuador are among the Latin America countries which have seen widespread outbreaks, but there is particular concern about Brazil.

The country now has the second highest official death toll in the world and is recording an average of over 1,000 deaths per day.

The President Jair Bolsonaro has consistently downplayed the risks of the virus and prioritised the economy in his decision-making, even criticising state governors for introducing regional quarantine measures.

India and Pakistan have both seen the number of infections and deaths rise in recent weeks and the healthcare systems in both countries appear to be under strain.

In Iran there are fears of a second wave of infections. New cases averaged more than 3,000 a day in the first week of June – a 50% increase on the previous week.

South Africa and Egypt have seen the largest outbreaks so far in Africa. But testing rates are reported to be extremely low in some parts of the continent and this could be distorting understanding of how far the virus has spread.

Europe easing lockdown restrictions

In Europe, the UK, Italy, Spain and France, along with others, now appear to have passed the peak, with the number of new confirmed cases and deaths falling.

The UK has reported more than 41,000 coronavirus deaths, the highest number in Europe. Italy has had the second highest death toll with about 34,000, while both France and Spain are just below 30,000.

However, differences in population size and how countries report their figures, with some including deaths in care homes, or deaths of those suspected but not confirmed of having the virus, means international comparisons are complicated.

Having been on lockdown to control the spread of the virus, European countries are now beginning to ease restrictions.

How and when restrictions are lifted varies from country to country, but the WHO has urged all nations to adopt a “slow, steady” approach.

A recent study at Imperial College London suggested that lockdowns across Europe had saved more than three million lives.

But the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has warned that the risk of a second wave of infections requiring European countries to re-impose full lockdowns was moderate to high.

The ECDC said that, although transmission had now passed its peak in most European countries, limiting the spread of the disease would depend on how well people adhere to rules as restrictions are gradually lifted.

“The pandemic is not over,” said ECDC director Andrea Ammon.

• How European countries are easing lockdowns

New York the worst-hit in US outbreak

With more than two million cases, the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world. It has also recorded more than 110,000 deaths.

The state of New York has been particularly badly affected, with more than 30,000 deaths in total, but the number of daily deaths has dropped to 50 to 70 in recent days – down from 1,000 a day in early April.

At one point, more than 90% of the US population was under mandatory lockdown orders, but all 50 states have now begun to loosen their stay-at-home restrictions and allowed some businesses to reopen – a move health officials fear could further spread the virus.

Nationally, the number of new cases has remained steady at around 20,000 a day for several weeks, but the situation is not the same in every state. In recent days the governors of Oregon and Utah halted their plans to ease lockdown restrictions, citing local spikes in Covid-19 cases.

Mass protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd have also led to warnings from public health experts that gathering crowds could cause a further resurgence of the virus.

More than 44 million people – more than a quarter of the country’s workforce – have applied for jobless benefits since the pandemic hit.

The economic downturn in the US has now been officially declared a recession.

• Is the worst now over for the US?
• Are US states reopening too soon?

About this data

The data used on this page comes from a variety of sources. It includes figures collated by Johns Hopkins University, data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, national governments and health agencies, as well as UN data on populations.

When comparing figures from different countries it is important to bear in mind that not all governments are recording coronavirus cases and deaths in the same way. This makes like for like comparisons between countries difficult.

Other factors to consider include: different population sizes, the size of the a country’s elderly population or whether a particular country has a large amount of its people living in densely populated areas. In addition, countries may be in different stages of the pandemic.