COVID-19: Record 3.6 million new cases, 54,000 deaths reported in one week

As of November 10, the global confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus hit a record 3.6 million in the highest jump last week as the overall global tally totalled to over 49.7 million cases, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The spike was almost 8 per cent compared to the previous week as the new fatalities increased by 21 per cent to over 54000. This brings the cumulative numbers to over 1.2 million deaths globally since the start of the pandemic according to the data received by WHO from national authorities, as of 10 am CEST 8 November 2020, the WHO informed in a release. 

As the cases of the COVID-19 surged, the WHO resumed the 73rd World Health Assembly as WHO Director-General called on the world to "choose health" over the alarming global health crisis. In an official address to the world leaders, the Director-general asked the countries to “address the shocking and expanding imbalance between assessed contributions and voluntary, largely earmarked funds," in order to combat the pandemic.

Further, WHO warned that “a [coronavirus] vaccine cannot address the global under-investment in essential public health functions and resilient health systems, nor the urgent need for a 'One Health' approach that encompasses the health of humans." According to WHO's release, WHO Director-General emphasized the availability of the vaccines, saying, that it is time for the world to heal from the ravages of the pandemic. Further, he warned about the geopolitical divisions that "drive nations further into the chasm of an unhealthier, un-safer and unfairer future”. 

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Hospitals filling at fast rates

WHO concerns about the rapidly rising cases come as coronavirus hospitalizations in the US reached an all-time high with more than 60,000 medical facilities admissions from the COVID-19 positive cases. As of November 11, as many as 44 states recorded 10 percent more hospitalizations of covid positive cases, straining the healthcare capacities, according to Johns Hopkins data. Bruce Vanderhoff, the incoming chief medical officer for the state's health department told sources of CNN that hospitals were filling at fast rates than ever before. Every county in the state is witnessing an alarming rise in Covid-19 hospitalizations, he warned. The surge has strained and exhausted the medical staff and the hospitals had near exhausted the available supply of trained personnel. 

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