The United States marked a grim milestone on Wednesday, with the number of people diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus, topping three million cases, according to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University statistics website.
The figure — 3,029,647 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States — represents approximately 25 percent of the total confirmed global coronavirus count, 11,662,574.
The number of Americans killed by the virus – 131,960 – is also high, but it hasn’t skyrocketed in the same way as the number of those who have contracted the illness. Doctors are not sure why, although they are grateful.
More than half a million people around the planet — 545,980 — have lost their lives to this deadly virus.
While medical professionals are still facing the biggest challenge of their careers in the United States, a spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed that the United States has indeed given notice of its intent to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO) effective July 6, 2021.
The spokesperson said he is “in the process of verifying with the World Health Organization whether all the conditions for such withdrawal are met,” including “giving a one-year notice and fully meeting the payment of assessed financial obligations.”
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle in Congress have criticized the move, initiated by President Donald Trump. The president has lambasted the WHO for its handling of the novel coronavirus pandemic and accused the organization of bias towards China.
