This may be the best visualisation of the impact of the coronavirus that we have seen.
Check it out here.
As you can see, it traces the global causes of deaths including COVID-19 from January to May this year using data from the Global Burden of Disease study, Worldometers populations and the Johns Hopkins COVID repository.
In January, COVID sits at the bottom of the table with deaths from malaria (well ahead of the other causes), homicide and Parkinson’s Disease, drowning and meningitis topping the list.
But in early February, coronavirus overtakes natural disaster and begins to quickly rise, overtaking terrorism in mid-March and influenzas by 1 April.
COVID finally claims top spot above malaria on 25 April – finishing with just over 345,000 at the end of May, around 90,000 deaths in front of malaria with just under 257,000.
It’s incredible to watch – not least for the reminder that there are many other dangers out there including the flu and Parkinson’s Disease.