While the 2 million figure is horrifying, experts say the actual death toll is likely much higher. Only confirmed Covid-19 deaths are included in the census, meaning people who die without a clear diagnosis may not be included.
With testing still inadequate in many countries around the world, hundreds of thousands of additional deaths could occur.
Christopher Murray, the director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, said an analysis of excess mortality suggests that as many as a fifth of coronavirus deaths may go unrecorded.
“We have found that the total number of deaths is on average 20% higher than the number of deaths reported,” he told CNN in an email, adding that the ratio varies considerably between countries.
“There are extreme cases like Ecuador, Peru or Russia where the total number of deaths is 300-500% higher than the reported deaths … but where we have data, the mean relationship is 20% higher.”
With vaccination programs starting to roll out around the world, there’s a ray of hope – even though it will likely be years before everyone gets the chance.
Meanwhile, the pandemic is getting worse. The death toll is rising faster than ever. While it took the world eight months to register 1 million Covid-19 deaths, the second million came in less than four months.
A number of countries, including the United States, Germany, Sweden, Indonesia, Israel and Japan, recorded their deadliest days of the pandemic last week. The number of cases worldwide is rapidly approaching 100 million.
The US has by far recorded the highest total death toll in the world, followed by Brazil, India and Mexico. But the pandemic has reached every corner of the world and only a few small, isolated countries have reported no deaths.
The virus has hit the elderly hardest, but that doesn’t mean young people don’t die. Poorer people and members of ethnic minorities, immigrants and frontline workers die to a much higher rate. But death hasn’t spared celebrities and royalty either.
There are now 2 million dead. 2 million stories. 2 million chairs that remain empty at the dining table. Here are the names of some of those who lost their lives:
Kimora “Kimmie” Lynum was a 9 year old who loved unicorns. Thomas Harvey catered for convalescent stroke patients. Adam and Mariah Gonzalez were the parents of 4-year-old Raiden. Jose Angel Medina Soto was a famous Mexican singer. Rita Haro, Jose “Chico” Haro and Manuela “Nellie” Johnson were siblings who loved homemade tamales and telenovelas. Demetria Bannister was an elementary school teacher who loved music. Fabrizio Soccorsi was Pope Francis’ personal doctor. Evelyn Ochoa-Celano left retirement as a nurse to come back and fight on the pandemic front lines. Patrick Ellis was a DC radio host for a long time. AshLee DeMarinis was a schoolteacher. Jean-Jacques Razafindranazy an emergency doctor was respected by his team. Daniel Moran died just days after losing his father Miguel Moran. Erika Becerra died three weeks after the birth of a healthy boy. Conrad Buchanan loved to dance with his daughter. Soumitra Chatterjee was an Indian acting legend. Dr. Rebecca Shadowen was the “glue of her family.” Sergio Humberto and Dolores Padilla Hernandez were brothers and sisters. Thomas Slade, a Mississippi teacher, sometimes used a gavel in class. Keith and Gwendolyn Robinson were best friends, married for 35 years. Xavier Harris was a 4-year-old who died the day after Christmas. Carla Sacchi died after her husband serenaded her from the street. Rev. Vickey Gibbs had a passion for social justice and the ability to prepare a colorful, beautiful breakfast. Fatemeh Rahbar was a newly elected member of the Iranian parliament. Guy Tetro played bass in a rock band. Tracy Larsen and her father Burt Porter died just minutes apart. Kiyotaka Suetake, known as Shobushi, was a sumo wrestler. Lieutenant Aldemar “Al” Rengifo Jr. was a 20-year veteran of a South Florida sheriff’s department. Dr. Mohammed Al-Youssef was a doctor in Syria. Ken Shimura was a famous Japanese comedian. Samantha Diaz left behind three children. Flavio ramosfamily discovered his body was missing in a hospital overrun by the virus. Eve Branson was the mother of Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group. Noe Martinez Domingues once made his children into a go-kart from an old lawn mower. Holiday Makamba was a leading Zimbabwean journalist. Patricia Dowd loved to travel. Herman Cain was a former Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza. Skylar Herbert was the 5-year-old daughter of two first responders. Abdomen Mujinga was an employee of a train ticket office who was spat on while she was working. Cynthia Alcantara Barker was the mayor of Hertsmere in England. Kenzo Takada was a designer famous for creating the fashion house Kenzo. SP Balasubrahmanyam was one of the most famous film singers in India. Ruben Burks spent more than 60 years defending the work of women and people of color in the labor movement. Donna Mitchell organized potlucks in her neighborhood and even became surrogate grandmother to the kids next door. Maria Teresa of Bourbon-Parma was a Spanish princess and a distant cousin of King Felipe VI. Iris Meda left retirement to teach nursing students. May Bunjes has volunteered for decades. Margaret Ann Spangler was a strong, smart, opinionated, funny, caring woman who loved her family deeply. Adeline Fagan was a sophomore OBGYN resident. Maria Mercader was a CBS News producer. Dr. Susan Moore loved to practice medicine. Paul Blackwell and Rose Mary Blackwell were both teachers and married for 30 years. Jay-Natalie La Santa was the daughter of a New York firefighter. Roy Horn was one half of a popular animal and magic act in Las Vegas. Dr. Carlos Araujo-Preza was a physician who cared for some of Houston’s sickest Covid-19 patients. Luke Letlow was an elected congressman. Green Blancar, a first-class teacher, taught her students to be friendly. Chad Dorrill was a college student and former high school basketball player. Li Wenliang was a doctor widely regarded as a hero in China for failing on the clock in the first coronavirus outbreak.
Additional images by Sarah-Grace Mankarious from CNN.
