Over a year into the coronavirus pandemic, the number of reported Covid-19 cases has exceeded 120 million.

Unprecedented health and economic crisis ensued in 2020 as most nations suffered tremendously due to the novel flu bug. Sadly, the world is still suffering from this menace as most nations are currently experiencing second or third surges of coronavirus infection.

• As per the latest reports courtesy of the website 'Worldometers', in the past 24 hours, 442,524 new Covid cases were detected across the world. While 8,141 patients succumbed to the deadly flu infection.

The current global Covid-19 situation is as follows:

Total Cases: 120,041,606
New Cases (last 24 hours): 442,524
Total Deaths: 2,659,177
New Deaths (last 24 hours): 8,141
Total Recovered: 96,583,819
Active Cases: 20,798,610

The United States alone, with over 30 million reported COVID-19 cases, accounts for a quarter of global cases. That's an unbelievable stat. But it clearly shows the havoc wreaked by the virus on Americans. It also tells us that how the Trump administration miserably failed in containing the viral infection.

To date, The US, Brazil, India, Russia, and the UK are the five countries that have reported the most number of infections. A total of 21 nations have reported over 1 million novel coronavirus infections.

Pakistan with over 600,000 total cases is placed 31st on the list of countries with the most number of reported coronavirus cases.

To curtail the uncontrolled spread of the coronavirus across the globe, free and equitable widespread distribution of effective COVID-19 vaccines is our best bet. But it's no easy task and it will take ample time before it turns to reality. So in the meantime, it's advisable to wear masks in public, stay away from social gatherings, and follow all the Covid Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) put in place by the local authorities.