‘A terribly difficult and lonely death’: WHO laments 1 million Covid-related deaths worldwide but says virus can be suppressed

The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed its grief over the global death toll from coronavirus surpassing one million, while adding that the illness could be reined-in with time.

“So many people have lost so many people and haven't had the chance to say goodbye. Many people who died, died alone... It's a terribly difficult and lonely death,” WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said during a briefing. She described the seven-figure worldwide death toll as “a very sad milestone.”

Harris said that people should remain hopeful because, unlike the flu, coronavirus is “suppressible.” 

The number of deaths linked to coronavirus passed one million on Tuesday. More than 33 million people have tested positive for the virus since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. 

The UN health agency warned last week that coronavirus could claim two million lives by the time a vaccine is made available to the public. 

In August, Russia became the first nation to unveil an inoculation against the disease. Dubbed ‘Sputnik V’, the vaccine has been administered to more than 5,000 volunteers with no serious side effects reported, Russia’s Ministry of Health said. 

Many countries in Europe and other parts of the world have reported a spike in daily Covid-19 cases, but the increase in positive tests hasn’t been followed by a surge in deaths. However, the rise in new infections has prompted nations like the UK to reimpose measures purportedly designed to contain the virus. Some of these policies have come under increasing scrutiny, as studies and government figures reveal the economic, social, and health consequences of lockdowns. 

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