GlobalData Epidemiologist Report: Global Covid cases near 73 million – new Covid variant identified in South East England

15 December

Globally, the total confirmed cases of Covid-19 have reached over 72,957,000, with over 1,623,000 deaths and 47,604,000 recoveries.

Total Covid-19 cases continue to rise across the world, with the US, India and Brazil remaining as the top three most heavily affected countries.

A new variant of the virus that causes Covid-19 has been identified across the South East of England and is currently under investigation by Public Health England.

The impact of this new variant will be monitored in the coming days and weeks as it includes a mutation in the ‘spike’ protein with the potential to result in the virus becoming more infectious.

On Sunday 13th December, 2020 Italy surpassed the United Kingdom to become the European country with the highest Covid-19 death toll.

Despite being one of its lowest one-day death counts in about a month, Italy registered another 484 Covid-19 deaths in one-day, increasing its total to 64,520 while Britain’s stood at 64,267.

Approximately half of the Covid-19 deaths in Italy were recorded during the first wave of infection earlier this year.

Ellie Sutcliffe, BSc, Senior Analyst and Associate Epidemiologist at GlobalData