Then & Now: How the World Reached 5 Million COVID-19 Deaths and Counting

Over the course of two years, the onset of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic has claimed 5 million lives worldwide, according to the latest tally released by Johns Hopkins University.

Data released by the university on Monday highlights that the US continues to hold the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths, with over 746,000 fatalities officially recorded since the start of the pandemic. Rounding out the top four countries with the highest death toll are Brazil, India and Mexico.

Experts have noted that the death toll is probably much higher, as the official global tally largely depends on confirmed cases. "It's quite possible that the number of deaths is double what we see," Amber D'Souza, professor of epidemiology at the Bloomberg School of Public Health, told Nat Geo.

"Five million is such a staggering number on its own," the official said. "No country has been able to escape it."

The Economist used statistical modeling to show that deaths from COVID-19 in many countries are likely underreported.

COVID-19 Consumes 2020

Covid-19 was first detected in Wuhan, China, in November 2019. The exact starting point of the virus is still unknown, but a zoonotic origin remains the most likely source, as bats in Southeast Asia have been discovered containing a similar virus.

There had been outbreaks of coronaviruses in China before, but none spread as quickly as COVID-19. The mysterious respiratory virus quickly grew and spread from Wuhan throughout mainland China. In the time it took to fully grasp the severity of the situation, COVID-19 had already started to make its way around the globe.

The delayed onset of symptoms following an infection made the virus the ultimate Trojan horse. From China, COVID-19 spread throughout Asia, Europe and the United States before consuming the rest of the globe.

As a result of the novelty of the virus, many people who went undiagnosed are believed to have died of COVID-19. The daily death total of COVID-19 hit 4,000 by March 30, 2020, a mark it has yet to drop beneath.

The slow trek to 5 million COVID-19 deaths has hardly abated over the past two years, especially as more deadly, transmissible variants of the virus emerged in over the last several months.

Improved safety measures, quarantine, and vaccines have significantly reduced the amount of deaths in developed nations. However, poorer nations are still in the grip of the novel coronavirus pandemic, with little way out.

As it stands, the COVID-19 pandemic is the 6th most deadly pandemic in history. While it pales in comparison to the 1918 influenza pandemic, it cannot be forgotten the vast medical advances that have transpired over the past century.

With a new, faster spreading Delta variant detected, the pandemic is nowhere near close to ending. Some nations have had successful vaccination efforts, but globally there remains much work to be done.