WHO: ‘Best Estimates’ Indicate 10 Percent Of Global Population Already Infected With COVID-19

The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that its “best estimates” indicate that up to 10 percent of the global population may have already been infected with COVID-19.

“Our current best estimates tell us about 10% of the global population may have been infected by this virus,” Mike Ryan, the WHO’s top emergency expert, said.“It varies depending on country, it varies from urban to rural, it varies depending on groups. But what it does mean is that the vast majority of the world remains at risk,” Ryan said. “We are now heading into a difficult period. The disease continues to spread.”

The announcement comes as nearly 8 million people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and more than 215,000 people have died in the United States. Globally, more than 35 million people have been diagnosed with the virus and more than 1 million have died. It’s worth noting that many authoritarian nations, like China, have been widely criticized over the statistics they have reported regarding the outbreaks in their countries, as officials have said that they believe those nations might be covering up the severity of their outbreaks.