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A2 UP FRONT
Monday 7 March 2022
Death toll nears 6 million as pandemic enters its 3rd year

Continued from Front “Confirmed deaths repre-
sent a fraction of the true
Death rates worldwide are number of deaths due to
still highest among people COVID, mostly because of
unvaccinated against the limited testing, and chal-
virus, said Tikki Pang, a vis- lenges in the attribution of
iting professor at the Na- the cause of death,” Ma-
tional University of Singa- thieu told The Associated
pore’s medical school and Press. “In some, mostly rich,
co-Chair of the Asia Pacific countries that fraction is
Immunization Coalition. high and the official tally
“This is a disease of the un- can be considered to be
vaccinated — look what is fairly accurate, but in oth-
happening in Hong Kong ers it is highly underestimat-
right now, the health system ed.” The United States has
is being overwhelmed,” the biggest official death
said Pang, the former di- toll in the world, but the
rector of research policy numbers have been trend-
and cooperation with the ing downward over the last
World Health Organization. month. Lonnie Bailey lost his
“The large majority of the 17-year-old nephew, Car-
deaths and the severe cas- los Nunez Jr., who contract-
es are in the unvaccinated, ed COVID-19 last April —
vulnerable segment of the People protest mask mandates outside the State Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Hartford, the same month Kentucky
population.” Conn. Associated Press opened his age group to
It took the world seven vaccinations. The Louisville
months to record its first resident said the family is
million deaths from the vi- still suffering, including Car-
rus after the pandemic los’ younger sibling, who
began in early 2020. Four had to be hospitalized him-
months later another mil- self and still has lingering
lion people had died, and symptoms. The aggressive
1 million have died every reopening of the country
three months since, until has been jarring for them
the death toll hit 5 million at to witness.
the end of October. Now “For us it is hard to let our
it has reached 6 million — guard down; it’s going to
more than the populations take a while for us to ad-
of Berlin and Brussels com- just,” Bailey said.
bined, or the entire state of The world has seen more
Maryland. than 445 million confirmed
But despite the enormity COVID-19 cases, and new
of the figure, the world un- weekly cases have been
doubtedly hit its 6 millionth declining recently in all re-
death some time ago. Poor gions except for the West-
record-keeping and testing ern Pacific, which includes
in many parts of the world China, Japan and South
has led to an undercount in Korea, among others, the
coronavirus deaths, in ad- World Health Organization
dition to excess deaths re- reported this week.
lated to the pandemic but Although the overall figures
not from actual COVID-19 in the Pacific islands see-
infections, like people who ing their first outbreaks are
died from preventable small compared to larger
causes but could not re- countries, they are signifi-
ceive treatment because cant among their tiny pop-
hospitals were full. ulations and threaten to
Edouard Mathieu, head overwhelm fragile health
of data for the Our World care systems.
in Data portal, said that Tonga reported its first out-
— when countries’ excess break after the virus arrived
mortality figures are stud- with international aid ves-
ied — as many as nearly sels following the Jan. 15
four times the reported eruption of a massive vol-
death toll have likely died cano, followed by a tsu-
because of the pandemic. nami. It now has several
An analysis of excess hundred cases, but — with
deaths by a team at The 66% of its population fully
Economist estimates that vaccinated — it has so far
the number of COVID-19 reported people suffering
deaths is between 14 mil- mostly mild symptoms and
lion and 23.5 million. no deaths.q