The World Health Organization said on Monday that roughly 1 in 10 people worldwide may have been infected by the coronavirus, which is more than 20 times the number of confirmed cases.
"Our current best estimates tell us about 10% of the global population may have been infected by this virus. It varies depending on the country, it varies from urban to rural, it varies depending on groups. But what it does mean is that the vast majority of the world remains at risk," Dr Michael Ryan said to a special session of the WHO's 34-member executive board.
"We are now heading into a difficult period. The disease continues to spread," he added.
The global tally of Covid-19 cases stands at 35,624,780. While 26,771,212 have recovered, 1,044,501 have died so far. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with 7,662,635 cases. It is followed by India with 6,685,082 cases, Brazil (4,918,022) and Russia (1,225,889).
"Our current best estimates tell us about 10% of the global population may have been infected by this virus. It varies depending on the country, it varies from urban to rural, it varies depending on groups. But what it does mean is that the vast majority of the world remains at risk," Dr Michael Ryan said to a special session of the WHO's 34-member executive board.
"We are now heading into a difficult period. The disease continues to spread," he added.
The global tally of Covid-19 cases stands at 35,624,780. While 26,771,212 have recovered, 1,044,501 have died so far. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with 7,662,635 cases. It is followed by India with 6,685,082 cases, Brazil (4,918,022) and Russia (1,225,889).