The devastating passage of the coronavirus on the planet: Three years of pandemic in numbers

Record deaths and infections, mass vaccinations, economic collapse, lost jobs… The Covid-19 pandemic in numbers:

– 6.8 million dead –

From the beginning of 2020 until January 27 this year, more than 6.8 million deaths and 752.5 million infections (including those who got sick more than once) have been recorded, according to data from the World Health Organization.

However, these numbers are considered underestimated by the WHO, which considers that, taking into account the excess mortality directly or indirectly related to Covid-19, in reality the death toll may be two or three times higher.

– 13 billion doses of vaccines –

About 13.25 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been administered worldwide, according to data from the website Our World in Data.

About seven in ten (69.4%) have received at least one dose, but in poor countries only one in four (26.4%) have been vaccinated.

– Six out of ten in quarantine –

At the peak of the first wave, in the spring of 2020, more than 4.5 billion people in 110 countries or territories were forced or urged to remain locked in their homes, according to an AFP count on April 17 of that year.

This number corresponds to almost 60% of the world’s population.

– Eight out of 10 students stayed at home –

On April 20, 2020, schools and universities were closed in 151 countries, affecting a total of 1.29 billion young people, i.e. 81.8% of pupils and students worldwide, according to Unesco data.

– Hundreds of billions of masks –

In transport, schools, shops and streets, the mask became the accessory-symbol of the pandemic. From March to the end of December 2020, mask exports from China alone reached 224 billion, according to Chinese customs data.

– Global GDP down 3.1% –

As many sectors simply ground to a halt, the pandemic led to global GDP falling by 3.1% in 2020, according to the World Bank. By comparison, in the subprime mortgage crisis of 2009 GDP fell by only 1.3%.

In 2021, however, global GDP recovered, recording an increase of 5.9%.

– 135 million fewer jobs –

The pandemic has affected the labor market. The International Labor Office (BIT) estimates that 135 million jobs were lost in 2020. Despite the recovery, the shortfall has yet to be closed: it stood at 56 million jobs in 2022 and is expected to fall to 37 million this year.

– 60% reduction in travelers –

Aviation has been hit hard by the pandemic, especially due to quarantine and border closures. In 2020, the number of passengers decreased by 60% compared to 2019, according to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

In 2022, passenger numbers were still 27-29% down compared to 2019.

– Reduction of CO2 emissions by 5.2% –

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from burning fossil fuels recorded a record 5.2% reduction in 2020, according to updated data from the Global Carbon Plan (GCP).

However, this was not enough to limit climate change and its consequences. And the reduction was short-lived, since in 2022 emissions increased again.

– Depression increased by 25% –

Patients experiencing severe anxiety and/or depression increased by 25% in the first year of the pandemic, according to the WHO.

“Unprecedented stress caused by social isolation” is “one of the main causes of this increase”, estimates the WHO, noting that women and young people are most affected.

RES-EMP

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