COVID-19 death toll reaches 2 million globally
The US represents nearly 20% of the worldwide total, with nearly 400,000 confirmed coronavirus-related deaths so far.
As of Jan. 15, Johns Hopkins University has tracked a total of over 93 million coronavirus cases worldwide.
The world reached a grim milestone Friday, as the total number of deaths due to the coronavirus passed the 2 million mark, according to the COVID-19 dashboard at Johns Hopkins University. The US accounts for nearly 400,000 of those deaths -- vastly more than any other country -- and represents nearly 20% of that global total.
The Johns Hopkins case numbers and death counts are based on figures collected from government agencies around the world, but public health experts have suggested the real totals may be far higher. That's because not everyone who's died of COVID-19 has necessarily been tested for it. A January 2021 analysis by The Wall Street Journal estimates the real death toll could be closer to 2.8 million worldwide.
This all comes as the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues to stall, with so far only 35 million doses having been distributed globally, about 12 million of which have gone to the US. Incoming president-elect Joe Biden on Thursday said he would ask Congress for $400 billion to help pick up the pace of vaccinations across the country, reiterating his goal of vaccinating 100 million people by the end of his first 100 days in office.