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Friday, Aug 21, 2026

The pandemic exceeds 17 million cases worldwide; United States enters recession

The pandemic exceeds 17 million cases worldwide; United States enters recession

The world on Thursday exceeded 17 million cases of the new coronavirus in full acceleration of the pandemic, which causes a shower of announcements of losses in large companies and record falls in GDP in countries like the United States, which officially entered a recession.
From banks to automakers have reported negative results from the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already left 667,933 dead, according to an AFP count until 4:00 p.m. GMT based on official figures.

The United States, with 4,426,982 cases and 150,713 deaths, is the country hardest hit, followed by Brazil, with 2,552,265 cases and 90,134 deaths, six months after the WHO's declaration of a global health emergency on 31 January.

At that time there were 98 cases and no deaths in 18 countries, not counting China. Four countries had evidence (8 cases) of human-to-human transmission outside of China (Germany, Japan, the United States and Vietnam), says the WHO in their web-portal by remembering that date.

Today, according to data released by AFP, there are cases in 197 countries and this Thursday the threshold of 17 million infections was exceeded, a million more than just four days ago and 6.5 million more than in early July.

Even countries that appeared to have the disease under control are struggling with outbreaks. Australia, for example, on Thursday reported a record of new cases and its highest daily death toll since the start of the pandemic.

In the United States, the epicenter is now in Florida, the third most populous state in the country, which with 21 million inhabitants reported a record 253 deaths daily on Thursday, and whose authorities will close the state coronavirus testing centers, anticipating the scourge during the weekend from tropical storm Isaias.
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