Total Covid-19 cases cross 700,000 mark
The total number of positive coronavirus cases across the world have crossed the 7,00,000-mark. The data was revealed by the Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Resource Centre, as on early Monday. Out of the total cases, the United States of America comprises over a seventh of them, the research said. The global death toll, meanwhile, has crossed the 33,500-mark, with Italy (10,779) and Spain (6,606) accounting for over half of them, it said.
Of the 704,095 total cases, the US-led with 132,637 and was followed by Italy with 97, 689 cases, China with 82,122, Spain with 78,799, Germany with 60,659 and Iran with 38,309.
As far the death toll was concerned, China's Hubei was third with 3,182 deaths, followed by Iran with 2,640, France with 2,606, and the UK with 1,228. US had also reported over 2,000 deaths across the country, the maximum of them in New York City (678).
Meanwhile, 148,824 Covid-19 patients have recovered, with over half (75,582) of them from China, followed by 14,709 in Spain, 13,030 in Italy, 12,391 in Iran and 9,211 in Germany.
US steps up developing therapies against COVID-19
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has said the country is stepping up developing treatments for COVID-19 patients, including an experiment on antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and a blood-related therapy.
Addressing a White House briefing on Sunday, Trump said that hydroxychloroquine is being administered to 1,100 patients in New York along with Z-Pak, which is azithromycin, Xinhua news agency reported.
"It's very early yet. It only started two days ago. But we will see what happens," he said.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also allowing the emergency use of a blood-related therapy, called convalescent plasma, as an experimental treatment for seriously ill patients, Trump said.
The therapy involves taking blood plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19. The sick patients will be transfused with the blood taken to boost their immune systems, according to Trump. The early results are good, he added.
The country is also looking at approval for sterilization of masks, Trump said.
The United States is unleashing every tool quickly in order to vanquish the virus, he said.
Trump also announced that the federal social distancing guidelines will be extended to April 30. The death rate in the country would likely peak in two weeks, he said.
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