Close to 6.9 million people have died from Covid-19 worldwide, more than double the tally of recorded deaths, a report released on Thursday claims, showing how little the world still knows about the true extent of the pandemic.
Only 3.2 million deaths have been recorded by a widely used resource created by Johns Hopkins University's Centre for Systems Science and Engineering.
Regardless, the US still has the highest death toll in the world, with 905,289 fatalities, a dramatic increase from the about 577,000 reported by Johns Hopkins, the report said.
India, embroiled in an ever-worsening outbreak, has registered 654,395 deaths, according to the report, a sharp rise from the officially reported 220,000.
The analysis was carried out by the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, an independent research organisation to which the US government has referred over the past year.
“As terrible as the Covid-19 pandemic appears, this analysis shows that the actual toll is significantly worse,” said Dr Chris Murray, director of the institute.
The institute said that the project entailed looking into deaths from all causes that would have occurred without a global pandemic and comparing it to excess deaths between March 2020 and March 2021.
The report's estimates focused on deaths directly caused by the virus and not deaths indirectly caused by strapped healthcare systems.
The institute says countries have been counting Covid-19 deaths that occurred in healthcare centres and those linked to positive test results.
Testing capacity varies widely from country to country, making it difficult to determine whether a death was directly contributable to the virus and leading to lower official tallies.
The US Centres for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said on Friday it is reviewing the IHME report and will consider whether to increase their numbers as a result.
"We will look at this carefully, and then we will work within the CDC to make decisions as to whether to count them as excess or to count them as Covid-specific," CDC Chief Dr Rochelle Walensky said in a briefing.
The CDC currently has the US death toll over 577,000 deaths, similar to the Johns Hopkins University tally.
Adjusting to the IHME numbers would add more than 300,000 deaths in the US.
“Many countries have devoted exceptional effort to measuring the pandemic’s toll, but our analysis shows how difficult it is to accurately track a new and rapidly spreading infectious disease,” Dr Murray said.
In the Middle East, the institute found concerning results in Egypt and Iran.
More than 174,000 people have died from Covid-19 in Iran, according to the report – about 100,000 more than the recorded 72,906.
It found that at least 170,000 people have died from the virus in Egypt, almost 13 times the recorded 13,529 deaths.
The World Health Organisation says it is seeing the worst weeks of the pandemic in terms of global cases.
The death rate, which lags behind infections by about two or three weeks, is also rising.
If you go:
The flights: Etihad, Emirates, British Airways and Virgin all fly from the UAE to London from Dh2,700 return, including taxes
The tours: The Tour for Muggles usually runs several times a day, lasts about two-and-a-half hours and costs £14 (Dh67)
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is on now at the Palace Theatre. Tickets need booking significantly in advance
Entrance to the Harry Potter exhibition at the House of MinaLima is free
The hotel: The grand, 1909-built Strand Palace Hotel is in a handy location near the Theatre District and several of the key Harry Potter filming and inspiration sites. The family rooms are spacious, with sofa beds that can accommodate children, and wooden shutters that keep out the light at night. Rooms cost from £170 (Dh808).
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Reading List
Practitioners of mindful eating recommend the following books to get you started:
Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr Lilian Cheung
How to Eat by Thich Nhat Hanh
The Mindful Diet by Dr Ruth Wolever
Mindful Eating by Dr Jan Bays
How to Raise a Mindful Eaterby Maryann Jacobsen
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Super 30
Produced: Sajid Nadiadwala and Phantom Productions
Directed: Vikas Bahl
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Pankaj Tripathi, Aditya Srivastav, Mrinal Thakur
Rating: 3.5 /5
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi
“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”
Team Angel Wolf Beach Blast takes place every Wednesday between 4:30pm and 5:30pm
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
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'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
