Global coronavirus deaths passed 300,000 on Thursday as infections approached 4.5 million, according to a Reuters tally, with the United States responsible for more than a quarter of all fatalities.
The United Kingdom and Italy accounted for another 10-11% each, while France and Spain accounted for 9% each.
The number of deaths linked to COVID-19 in just four months is now equal to about three-quarters of the number of people who die annually from malaria, one of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases.
