The confirmed number of coronavirus cases in the world has reached 20 million. That’s according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.
Health officials believe the actual number is much higher, given testing limitations and the fact that as many as 40% of all those who are infected have no symptoms.
The deaths of nearly 735,000 people have been linked to COVID-19.
The U.S., India and Brazil have together accounted for nearly two-thirds of all cases since the world hit 15 million on July 22.
Not only are those three the only countries to have crossed 2 million cases each, but no other nation has also officially reached 1 million cases. Russia the next-closest at 890,000.
The U.S. alone has more than one-quarter of the total cases, accounting for nearly 5.1 million late Monday night with more than 163,000 deaths. But since reaching a daily peak of more than 77,000 cases on July 16, the U.S. has seen a decline, recording fewer than 50,000 cases over four of the past nine days.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some — especially older adults and people with existing health problems — it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.