BMJ British Medical Journal
Editor's Choice
At the end of the covid-19 storm, another one is brewing
BMJ 2021; 372 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n673 (Published 11 March 2021)
Cite this as: BMJ 2021;372:n673
Rapid Response
Re: At the end of the covid-19 storm, another one is brewing
Dear Editor
World is fighting with Vaccines to End the COVID-19 War.
At the end of one year after the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020, declared the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global pandemic, as of 12.3.2021, in 219 countries, over 1.51% (119,228,648) of the world population are infected with COVID-19 along with 2,643,951 deaths.
European countries have recorded 26.35% of the total global COVID-19 cases with 28.68 % of COVID-19 related deaths.
Among the European countries, the UK leads the list in the total numbers of COVID-19 cases (4,241,677) and COVID-19 related deaths (125,168).
A higher number of daily cases were reported in France and of daily COVID-19 related deaths were reported in Poland.
As of March 9, 2021, the United Kingdom had the highest COVID-19 vaccination rate in Europe, having administered 35.02 doses per 100 people in the country.
The UK was the first country in Europe to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for widespread use and began inoculations on December 8, 2020.
In the USA, COVID-19 cases have started declining and it has registered a single day spike of over 62k (62,773) cases and the total cases has now crossed the 29.9 million mark (29,925,902) with over 5.4 lakh (543,721) deaths (with the single day deaths of 1,531) on 11.3.21.
In India, about over 25 million (25,685,011) were vaccinated against COVID-19 as of 10.3.2021
Cases and death rates in India, Tamilnadu and in Trichy, my home town, are declining and our country's single day spike of COVID-19 cases was over 21 k (21,668) with the single day deaths of 113.
In India the total number crossed the 11.3 million mark (11,305,979) on 11.3.21, one year after WHO declared the COVID-19 Outbreak a Pandemic.
In India, recovered cases were second to the U.S and are over the 10.9 million mark (10,947,252) on 11.3.2021.
To bring this COVID-19 pandemic to an end, a large share of the world needs to be immune to the virus. The safest way to achieve this is with a vaccine. Now the world has vaccines to fight against COVID-19. Vaccines are a technology that humanity has often relied on in the past to bring down the death toll of infectious diseases.
The challenge now is to make these vaccines available to people around the world. It will be key that people in all countries — not just in rich countries — receive the required protection against COVID-19
Competing interests: No competing interests
12 March 2021
M.A. Aleem
Emeritus Professor of Neurology * Visiting Specialist in Neurology ** Consultant Neurologist ***
The Tamilnadu Dr.M.G.R. Medical University * Dhanalakshami Srinivasan Medical College ** ABC Hospital ***
Chennai 600032* Perambalure 621212** Trichy 620018*** Tamilnadu India
@drmaaleem
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