The global death toll due to COVID-19 has passed the 10,000 mark, reaching 10,082 with almost a quarter of a million registered cases; over 150,000 of them still active.

Italy yesterday bypassed China as the country with the highest death toll worldwide at 3,405 versus 3,248 in China despite the latter’s registered COVID-19 cases being double that of Italy, at 80,967 in China and 41,035 in Italy. Iran follows with 18,407 cases and 1,284 deaths and then Spain with 18,077 and 831 deaths.

Germany has declared 16,626 cases and 44 deaths, the USA 14,366 cases with 217 deaths, France 10,995 cases with 372 deaths, South Korea 8652 wit 94 deaths, Switzerland 4222 with 43 deaths, the UK 3269 with 144 deaths.

The mortality rate varies from one country to another due to several factors including the time campaigns were launched to combat the pandemic, including the level of testing conducted to determine who is carrying the virus, and measures taken to keep it from spreading among the population.

Also read: Italy poised to surpass China in coronavirus death toll