Covid 19 coronavirus: Grim warning from World Health Organisation as cases near 10 million

The world is on track to reach 10 million coronavirus cases within the next week, the World Health Organisation has said overnight.

Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that more than 9.1 million cases of Covid-19 have been reported so far, and more than 470,000 deaths.

In the past month, almost 4 million have emerged. By contrast, he said less than 10,000 cases were reported in the first month of the outbreak.

"More than 9.1 million cases of #COVID19 have now been reported to WHO, and more than 470 thousand deaths.

In the first month of this outbreak, less than 10,000 cases were reported to WHO. In the last month, almost 4 million cases have been reported"-@DrTedros

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 24, 2020

Announcing the figures, Tedros said a shortage of concentrators – devices that purify oxygen – to help critically ill patients was looming.

"Many countries are now experiencing difficulties in obtaining oxygen concentrators," he said.

"Eighty percent of the market is owned by just a few companies, and demand is currently outstripping supply.

"WHO estimates that at the current rate of about one million new cases a week, the world needs about 620,000 cubic meters of oxygen a day, which is about 88,000 large cylinders."

"We expect to reach a total of 10M cases within the next week.
This is a sober reminder that even as we continue R&D into vaccines & therapeutics, we have an urgent responsibility to do everything we can with the tools we have now to suppress transmission & save lives"-@DrTedros

— World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) June 24, 2020