# COVID cases surpass 400 million as Omicron grips world Author: Pal Sinha, Barnali Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali Published: 2022-02-09 Category: NEWS Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/news Meta Title: Global COVID-19 Cases Surpass 400 Million as Omicron Meta Description: Stay informed on the latest COVID-19 updates as cases hit 400 million, with the Omicron variant spreading rapidly. Protect yourself and others. URL: https://financedigest.com/covid-cases-surpass-400-million-as-omicron-grips-worldhtml ![undefined](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/2022-02-09t135523z1lynxmpei180n8rtroptp4health-coronavirus-malaysia-1736816252703-compressed.jpg) By Roshan Abraham and Kavya B (Reuters) – Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 400 million on Wednesday, according to a Reuters tally, as the highly contagious Omicron variant dominates the outbreak, pushing health systems in several countries to the brink of capacity. The Omicron variant, which is dominating the surge around the world, accounts for almost all new cases reported daily. While [cases have begun to level off in many countries, more than 2 million cases are still being reported on average each day](https://www.financedigest.com/shanghai-finds-cases-after-five-days-of-zero-covid-but-end-of-lockdown-on-track.html "Shanghai finds cases after five days of ‘zero COVID’ but end of lockdown on track"), according to a Reuters analysis. Deaths, which tend to lag cases, have [increased by 70% in the last](https://www.financedigest.com/over-50-of-businesses-increased-their-cyber-security-budget-last-year-amid-attacks.html "Over 50% of businesses increased their cyber security budget last year amid attacks") five weeks based on the seven-day average. While preliminary evidence from several countries have shown that Omicron is milder than previous variants, a large volume of cases can potentially overburden [healthcare systems globally](https://www.financedigest.com/global-animal-healthcare-market-report.html "Global Animal Healthcare Market Report"). It took over a month for COVID cases to [reach 400 million](https://www.financedigest.com/700000-employees-across-the-uk-have-access-to-fair-finance-will-reach-one-million-employees-in-2017.html "700,000 Employees Across The UK Have Access to Fair Finance, Will Reach One Million Employees in 2017") from 300 million, compared to five months for the cases to reach 300 million from 200 million, according to a Reuters tally. The pandemic has killed over 6 [million people](https://www.financedigest.com/the-start-up-using-technology-to-help-the-20-million-people-in-britain-with-money-worries.html "The start-up using technology to help the 20 million people in Britain with money worries") worldwide. The top five countries [reporting the most cases on a seven-day average – United](https://www.financedigest.com/simalliance-members-report-shipments-of-4-9-billion-sims-in-2017-while-estimated-total-available-sim-market-in-2017-increases-2-75-to-5-6-billion-units.html "SIMalliance Members Report Shipments of 4.9 Billion SIMs in 2017, while Estimated Total Available SIM Market in 2017 Increases 2.75% to 5.6 Billion Units   ") States, France, Germany, Russia, and Brazil – account for roughly 37% of all new cases reported worldwide, according to Reuters analysis. The United States leads the [world in the most cases reported each day](https://www.financedigest.com/covid-war-and-fed-push-world-stocks-down-for-4th-day.html "COVID, War and Fed push world stocks down for 4th day"), with a million new cases reported in the country every three days. [Cases and hospitalizations](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-coronavirus-cases-hit-new-high-hospitalizations-creep-up.html "U.S. coronavirus cases hit new high, hospitalizations creep up") in the country are slowing down from its peak in January this year, according to a Reuters analysis. On Friday, the [country surpassed 900,000 deaths related to COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/u-s-cdc-lifts-covid-do-not-travel-recommendations-on-about-90-countries.html "U.S. CDC lifts COVID ‘Do Not Travel’ recommendations on about 90 countries"). In France, the seven-day average of new infections has held at over 210,000 per day, adding about a million new cases every five days. The cumulative total for confirmed COVID cases in France since the start of the pandemic [passed 20 million last](https://www.financedigest.com/loyal-to-the-last-queens-corgis-and-pony-watch-her-pass.html "Loyal to the last, queen’s corgis and pony watch her pass") Thursday. About half of all new infections reported worldwide were from [countries in Europe](https://www.financedigest.com/best-countries-in-europe-to-live-in.html "Best countries in Europe to live in"), with 21 countries still at the peak of their infection curve. The region has [reported over 131 million cases and over 2 million deaths](https://www.financedigest.com/strong-nighttime-earthquake-jolts-sleeping-mexicans-at-least-one-death-reported.html "Strong nighttime earthquake jolts sleeping Mexicans, at least one death reported") related to COVID since the pandemic began. Despite Europe reporting a million new cases almost every day, some countries are gradually lifting [restrictions as the outbreak eases](https://www.financedigest.com/europe-sees-travel-recovery-as-covid-restrictions-ease.html "Europe sees travel recovery as COVID restrictions ease") locally. Spain has scrapped a requirement for people to wear masks outdoors, extending a wider rollback of restrictions as the contagion slowly recedes in the country. On Monday, Greece started allowing tourists with a European [vaccination certificate to enter the country without having to show a negative test for COVID](https://www.financedigest.com/fda-advisers-back-the-same-covid-vaccine-for-initial-shots-boosters.html "FDA advisers back the same COVID vaccine for initial shots, boosters"). Last Friday, India’s death toll from COVID-19 crossed 500,000, a level many health experts [say was breached last year](https://www.financedigest.com/uk-to-avoid-recession-this-year-but-outlook-still-weak-bcc-says.html "UK to avoid recession this year but outlook still weak, BCC says") but obscured by inaccurate surveys and unaccounted deaths. An estimated 3 million people have died from COVID-19 in the south-Asian nation until mid-2021, [according to one study](https://www.financedigest.com/investors-seek-higher-returns-as-catastrophe-bond-issuance-slows-during-q2-according-to-aon-study.html "INVESTORS SEEK HIGHER RETURNS AS CATASTROPHE BOND ISSUANCE SLOWS DURING Q2, ACCORDING TO AON STUDY") published in the journal Science that relied on three different databases. The most common form of the Omicron variant, BA.1, accounted for 98.8% of sequenced cases submitted to the public virus tracking database GISAID as of Jan. 25. But several countries are reporting recent increases in the subvariant known as BA.2, according to the [World Health](https://www.financedigest.com/breaking-the-stigma-men-and-mental-health-in-the-world-of-investments.html "Breaking the Stigma: Men and Mental Health in the World of Investments") Organization. Roughly 62% of the [world population has received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, while only 11% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose, according to figures from Our World in Data](https://www.financedigest.com/bridge-the-gaps-in-big-data-and-cross-into-a-world-of-growth.html "Bridge the gaps in Big Data – and cross into a world of growth"). (Reporting by Roshan Abraham and Kavya B in Bengaluru; Editing by Lisa Shumaker) --- This blog is powered by Superblog. Visit https://superblog.ai to know more. ---