More than 100,000 people worldwide have been infected with COVID-19, better known as the novel coronavirus, according to figures published by Johns Hopkins University.
The 100,000 case threshold was broken on Friday.
According to Johns Hopkins, 3,411 people have died as a result of the disease — a death rate of about 3 percent. More than 55,000 have made a full recovery.
Earlier this week, the WHO confirmed the death rate for the disease was about 3 percent — higher than that of the average flu strain. The organization also said that while the disease does not spread as quickly as the average flu, because the viral strain is so new, it still poses an issue due to lack of immunity built up in humans.
The vast majority of COVD-19 cases remain in mainland China, where more than 80,000 people have been infected with the virus. South Korea (more than 6,000), Iran (more than 4,000) and Italy (more than 3,000) remain hotspots for the disease.
In the U.S., at least 236 people have contracted COVID-19 — the majority on the west coast. Fourteen people have died as a result of the disease — 13 in Washington state, and one in California.
According to NBC News, cases of the coronavirus have dwarfed those of similar diseases like SARS and MERS. About 8,000 people contracted SARS worldwide in 2002-2003, while about 2,500 contracted MERS worldwide since 2012.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
