Top 10 Countries with the Most COVID-19 Infections Globally

The COVID-19 pandemic officially reached the Russian Federation on January 31, 2020. Early preventive measures included closing the borders with China and widespread testing. Later, as infections, mostly from Italy, were reported starting March 2, stricter actions were implemented, such as event cancellations, bans on foreign nationals entering the country, and the closure of schools, theaters, and museums. However, there have been doubts about the accuracy of Russia's reported infection numbers. By the end of March, a lockdown was imposed across most federal regions, including Moscow. By April 2020, every region in Russia had reported cases. After a year of battling the virus, Russia's tally reached over three million infections, with more than seventy thousand deaths.

Details:

• Total infections: 3,884,730.
• Recovered: 3,340,545.
• Deaths: 74,158.
  

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the United Kingdom on January 31, 2020, when the first cases of respiratory illness caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus were identified in a family of Chinese nationals staying at a hotel in York. As soon as cases were detected in the UK, a public health campaign was launched to inform the public on how to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

After over a year of battling the pandemic, despite the government's and the public's efforts, the situation has not been fully controlled, and the UK has encountered a new variant of the virus. The emergence of this mutation, first detected in the UK, has complicated the prospect of lifting the lockdown, even with the widespread rollout of vaccination campaigns.

Details:

• Total infections: 3,835,783.
• Recovered: 1,673,936.
• Deaths: 106,564.
  

The COVID-19 outbreak was confirmed to have reached France on January 24, 2020, with the first European case reported in Bordeaux. The patient was a 48-year-old French-Chinese national who had traveled to France from China. Two additional cases were confirmed later that day, all of them returning travelers from China.

On January 28, a Chinese tourist was hospitalized in Paris and tragically passed away on February 14, becoming the first death from COVID-19 in both Europe and France. Currently, the number of COVID-19 cases in France has exceeded three million, with over 76,000 fatalities.

Details:

• Total infections: 3,201,461.
• Recovered: 225,319.
• Deaths: 76,512.
  

On January 31, 2020, Spain confirmed its first COVID-19 case in La Gomera, Canary Islands. A German tourist tested positive and was admitted to the Nuestra Señora de Candelaria University Hospital.

A new variant of the coronavirus, which emerged in Spain in June 2020, rapidly spread across Europe, becoming the dominant strain in several countries. The arrival of this new variant complicated efforts to eliminate the virus, making the situation in Spain increasingly difficult to manage. Currently, the country has reported nearly three million infections and close to 60,000 deaths.

Details:

• Total infections: 2,852,729.
• Recovered: 2,041,187.
• Deaths: 59,081.
  

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Italy on January 31, 2020, when two Chinese tourists tested positive in Rome. A cluster of COVID-19 cases was later identified, beginning with 16 confirmed cases in Lombardy on February 21, followed by 60 more on February 22, and Italy's first reported death on the same day. By the end of February 2020, Italy had become the country most severely affected by the virus after China, with 366 fatalities.

In response, Italy implemented various measures to control the outbreak, including temperature screenings and the suspension of large public events. Soon after, schools were closed, and disinfection protocols were introduced at airports. As of now, Italy has reported over two million infections and nearly 90,000 deaths.

Details:

• Total infections: 2,560,957.
• Recovered: 2,024,523.
• Deaths: 88,845.

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached Turkey on March 11, 2020, with the first case reported in the country. Turkish cities took significant steps, including large-scale disinfection efforts in public spaces and public transport. In Istanbul, the city installed hand sanitizers at metrobus stations. The Ministry of National Education also announced that special disinfectants were being used to ensure school safety against the virus.

Despite these efforts to curb the pandemic, Turkey, like most other nations, has seen a continuous rise in cases. As of now, Turkey has reported over two million infections, with more than 26,000 deaths.

Details:

• Total infections: 2,485,182.
• Recovered: 2,370,431.
• Deaths: 26,117.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Germany is part of the global crisis caused by the novel coronavirus strain, SARS-CoV-2. The first case in Germany was confirmed on January 27, 2020, in the state of Bavaria. The infected individual was an employee at Webasto who contracted the virus from a Chinese colleague during a business trip to Munich.

Currently, a new mutated strain of SARS-CoV-2, distinct from those identified in the UK, South Africa, and Brazil, has been detected in Germany. This mutation marks the latest variation of the virus to be found in the country, heightening concerns similar to those faced by other European nations as they try to contain more infectious strains found in the UK and South Africa.

Details:

• Total infections: 2,232,316.
• Recovered: 1,935,600.
• Deaths: 58,396.

The United States has been the hardest hit country by the coronavirus pandemic, with 454,213 deaths out of 26,911,375 confirmed cases, accounting for over 20% of the global total. Notably, the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. skyrocketed after surpassing 10 million on October 9, quickly adding another 5 million cases within a month. Currently, with 26,911,375 confirmed infections, the largest U.S. states by both population and economy, California and New York, declared emergencies due to the worsening situation.

As of January 31, 2021, official statistics show approximately 3,000 deaths per day, partly due to delayed hospital admissions. California alone surpassed 40,000 deaths since the onset of the pandemic. However, recent data offers some hope, with a noticeable drop in both deaths and new infections. On January 30, national statistics reported over 2,600 deaths and more than 133,000 new cases, both significantly lower than the previous week.

Details:

• Total infections: 26,911,375.
• Recovered: 16,629,530.
• Deaths: 454,213.

The COVID-19 pandemic was first confirmed to have reached India on January 30, 2020, originating from China. Initial protective measures were implemented shortly after. In January 2020, the Indian government issued a travel advisory for its citizens, particularly those from Wuhan, where around 500 Indian medical students were studying. It also directed seven major international airports to conduct thermal screening of passengers arriving from China. As the virus spread within India, overcrowded slums in major cities became prime hotspots for the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 due to poor sanitation and cramped living conditions. Nearly a year into the pandemic, Indian authorities have struggled to control outbreaks stemming from these areas.

The situation worsened during the initial stages when India imposed a nationwide lockdown, leaving many migrant workers jobless and forcing them to return to their rural homes. This movement inadvertently facilitated the spread of the virus from urban centers to rural regions. Currently, India has reported over 10 million confirmed cases, with the death toll surpassing 150,000.

Details:

• Total infections: 10,767,206.
• Recovered: 10,447,450.
• Deaths: 154,522.

Brazil, officially known as the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is also the fifth largest country in the world by both land area and population, with over 190 million people. Brazil is the only Portuguese-speaking country in the Americas and the largest in the world.

Following the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, Brazil soon faced its own wave of the pandemic. In February 2020, Brazil confirmed its first case of COVID-19, and after a year of battling the virus, the country has reported over 9 million infections and more than 200,000 deaths.

Details:

• Total infections: 9,230,016.
• Recovered: 8,077,967.
• Deaths: 225,143.