The International Rescue Committee (IRC) estimates that there could be up to one billion coronavirus infections in crisis-affected countries unless swift action is taken to curb its spread.
In a worst-case scenario, it warns that could result in up to 3.2 million deaths.
“These numbers should serve as a wake-up call: the full, devastating and disproportionate weight of this pandemic has yet to be felt in the world’s most fragile and war-torn countries,” said David Miliband, the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee.
“We are still in the critical window of time to mount a robust preventative response to the early stages of Covid-19 in many of these countries and prevent a further perpetuation of this epidemic globally.”
In a statement, the IRC said it had compiled the estimates based on modeling and data produced by Imperial College London and the World Health Organisation.
The Imperial College London report referenced by the IRC modeled mortality rates under different suppression policies. It considered variables such as a country’s economy, population demographics, and estimated health care capacity.
The 34 crisis-affected countries the IRC refers to are: Afghanistan, Burundi, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chad, Cameroon, CAR, Chad, Colombia, Côte d’Ivoire, DRC, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Greece, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Mali, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela and Yemen.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/iv9DfeMp_mI/index.html
