Global coronavirus infection rates are on the decline for the second consecutive month. A total of 12.9 mln cases were confirmed across the world in October, nearly three mln below the number in September, according to TASS estimates. Mortality rates are also declining. About 214,000 coronavirus patients died globally in the past month, a 20% drop from the September figure. TASS has put together key coronavirus statistics from the past month.

The United States remains the global epicenter of the pandemic. About 2.4 mln new cases were confirmed in the country in October. However, infection rates keep declining: some 120,000 new patients were identified every day at the beginning of the month but the daily number fell to about 65,000 by the end of October. The United Kingdom ranks second in terms of new daily cases with a total of about 1.2 mln new patients identified in the past month. The rate remains high despite the fact that over 70% of the country’s population has been vaccinated. As for Russia, the number of monthly infections exceeded one mln for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.

The United States accounts for the majority of coronavirus fatalities recorded in October with a monthly death toll of over 42,000. However, the country’s daily mortality rate fell from 2,000 to 900 at the end of October.

Russia currently has the highest daily mortality rate of about 1,200. More than 31,000 coronavirus patients died in Russia in October, a 30% rise from September. In the United Kingdom, only 0.3% of coronavirus patients died in the past month though infection rates remained high.

The coronavirus situation has somewhat stabilized in Asia and the Middle East. Turkey, where daily cases skyrocketed in July, saw a 20% decline in infection rates at the end of October. New infections decreased nearly three-fold in the Philippines and halved in Malaysia, while the two countries used to be the pandemic’s hotspots in Southeast Asia. Each of the countries reported about 200,000 coronavirus cases in October. Mortality rates did not change in the Philippines compared to September and halved in Malaysia.

Source: BSS/TASS