India reported over 44 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as of October 20, 2023. The number of people infected with the virus was declining across the south Asian country.

What is the coronavirus?

COVID-19 is part of a large family of coronaviruses (CoV) that are transmitted from animals to people. The name COVID-19 is derived from the words corona, virus, and disease, while the number 19 represents the year that it emerged. Symptoms of COVID-19 resemble that of the common cold, with fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. However, serious infections can lead to pneumonia, multi-organ failure, severe acute respiratory syndrome, and even death, if appropriate medical help is not provided.

COVID-19 in India

India reported its first case of this coronavirus in late January 2020 in the southern state of Kerala. That led to a nation-wide lockdown between March and June that year to curb numbers from rising. After marginal success, the economy opened up leading to some recovery for the rest of 2020. In March 2021, however, the second wave hit the country causing record-breaking numbers of infections and deaths, crushing the healthcare system. The central government has been criticized for not taking action this time around, with "#ResignModi" trending on social media platforms in late April. The government's response was to block this line of content on the basis of fighting misinformation and reducing panic across the country.

As of May 2, 2023, the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had been confirmed in almost every country in the world. The virus had infected over 687 million people worldwide, and the number of deaths had reached almost 6.87 million. The most severely affected countries include the U.S., India, and Brazil.

COVID-19: background information COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that had not previously been identified in humans. The first case was detected in the Hubei province of China at the end of December 2019. The virus is highly transmissible and coughing and sneezing are the most common forms of transmission, which is similar to the outbreak of the SARS coronavirus that began in 2002 and was thought to have spread via cough and sneeze droplets expelled into the air by infected persons.

Naming the coronavirus disease Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that can be transmitted between animals and people, causing illnesses that may range from the common cold to more severe respiratory syndromes. In February 2020, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses and the World Health Organization announced official names for both the virus and the disease it causes: SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, respectively. The name of the disease is derived from the words corona, virus, and disease, while the number 19 represents the year that it emerged.

Gujarat confirmed over 1.2 million cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as of October 20, 2023, with over 11 thousand fatalities and over 1.28 million recoveries. India reported almost 45 million cases, including this state that same day.

Maharashtra confirmed over 8.1 million cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as of October 20, 2023, with over 148 thousand fatalities and over eight million recoveries. A state-wide lockdown was implemented in late April 2021 to attempt reducing infections and deaths.

India reported almost 45 million cases of the coronavirus (COVID-19) as of October 20, 2023, with more than 44 million recoveries and about 532 thousand fatalities. The number of cases in the country had a decreasing trend in the past months.

Burden on the healthcare system

With the world's second largest population in addition to an even worse second wave of the coronavirus pandemic seems to be crushing an already inadequate healthcare system. Despite vast numbers being vaccinated, a new variant seemed to be affecting younger age groups this time around. The lack of ICU beds, black market sales of oxygen cylinders and drugs needed to treat COVID-19, as well as overworked crematoriums resorting to mass burials added to the woes of the country. Foreign aid was promised from various countries including the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Additionally, funding from the central government was expected to boost vaccine production.

Situation overview
Even though days in April 2021 saw record-breaking numbers compared to any other country worldwide, a nation-wide lockdown has not been implemented. The largest religious gathering - the Kumbh Mela, sacred to the Hindus, along with election rallies in certain states continue to be held. Some states and union territories including Maharashtra, Delhi, and Karnataka had issued curfews and lockdowns to try to curb the spread of infections.

Outcome data of single infections of COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and GAS, and their coinfections in Seasons I and II.

New COVID-19 cases in Russia stood at over 19.9 thousand during the week ending October 22, 2023, up nearly 3.1 thousand from the previous week. The total number of confirmed cases of the disease in the country exceeded 23 million, with the capital Moscow accounting for the largest number of infected individuals. COVID-19 spread in Russia The mass spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Russia is considered to have started in March 2020, given that only two cases were recorded at the end of January and none in February. By mid-April, the disease affected all federal subjects, or regions of the country. To contain the COVID-19 outbreak, a lockdown was introduced in the country until mid-May 2020, and residents aged above 65 years were obliged to stay home for several months longer as a preventive measure. Another non-working period was announced at the end of October and the beginning of November 2021. What do Russians think about COVID-19? In February 2020, only 18 percent of the Russian population believed there was a high probability of the COVID-19 outbreak in the country. As more disease cases were reported, the society took it more seriously. In April 2020, over 90 percent of Russians supported measures taken by the national government to prevent the wider spread of the disease.For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

COVID-19 in Russia was centered in the city of Moscow, which accounted for the highest number of cases, measuring at around 3.5 million as of June 4, 2023. It was followed by Saint Petersburg with more than 1.9 million cases. In total, over 22.9 million COVID-19 cases were recorded in Russia as of June 4, 2023.

COVID-19 in Moscow The city of Moscow was Russia’s region with the largest number of conducted COVID-19 tests. Moscow's self-isolation index during the lockdown indicated that most residents stayed home. With entertainment venues, restaurants and bars, and non-food shops closed, the subway traffic in the capital decreased by 85 percent compared to the previous year. Furthermore, car sharing services were suspended in the city due to risks of the COVID-19 contagion. Until the end of 2021, pensioners in Moscow could receive 10 thousand Russian rubles for getting vaccinated.

Self-isolation regime Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Russia announced a non-working period until May 11, 2020. Its regions, or federal subjects, imposed additional quarantine measures to restrict movement of residents and transport during the shutdown. In most regions, the population could go outside only to the nearest grocery store, to walk a dog, or to see a doctor in emergency cases. Moscow authorities introduced digital passes, requiring Russians to register online before leaving home. Another lockdown was held from the end of October to the beginning of November. For further information about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, please visit our dedicated Facts and Figures page.

After entering Italy, the coronavirus (COVID-19) spread fast. The strict lockdown implemented by the government during the Spring 2020 helped to slow down the outbreak. However, the country had to face four new harsh waves of contagion. As of January 1, 2025, the total number of cases reported by the authorities reached over 26.9 million. The north of the country was mostly hit, and the region with the highest number of cases was Lombardy, which registered almost 4.4 million of them. The north-eastern region of Veneto and the southern region of Campania followed in the list. When adjusting these figures for the population size of each region, however, the picture changed, with the region of Veneto being the area where the virus had the highest relative incidence. Coronavirus in Italy Italy has been among the countries most impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the number of deaths due to coronavirus recorded in Italy is significantly high, making it one of the countries with the highest fatality rates worldwide, especially in the first stages of the pandemic. In particular, a very high mortality rate was recorded among patients aged 80 years or older. Impact on the economy The lockdown imposed during the Spring 2020, and other measures taken in the following months to contain the pandemic, forced many businesses to shut their doors and caused industrial production to slow down significantly. As a result, consumption fell, with the sectors most severely hit being hospitality and tourism, air transport, and automotive. Several predictions about the evolution of the global economy were published at the beginning of the pandemic, based on different scenarios about the development of the pandemic. According to the official results, it appeared that the coronavirus outbreak had caused Italy’s GDP to shrink by approximately nine percent in 2020.

Over 12 million people in the United States died from all causes between the beginning of January 2020 and August 21, 2023. Over 1.1 million of those deaths were with confirmed or presumed COVID-19.

Vaccine rollout in the United States Finding a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine was an urgent health priority since the very start of the pandemic. In the United States, the first two vaccines were authorized and recommended for use in December 2020. One has been developed by Massachusetts-based biotech company Moderna, and the number of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines administered in the U.S. was over 250 million. Moderna has also said that its vaccine is effective against the coronavirus variants first identified in the UK and South Africa.

In 2024, the annual unemployment rate of the United Kingdom is expected to be 4.3 percent, compared with four percent in 2023. Unemployment is forecast to fall to 4.1 percent in 2025, before falling again to four percent in 2026. A common indicator of an economy’s relative health, the unemployment rate has generally been falling in the United Kingdom since its 2011 peak of 8.1 percent. Uptick in unemployment in 2023 In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in the United Kingdom grew steadily, from just 3.9 percent at the start of 2020, to 5.1 percent by the end of the year. This was followed by a steep decline in unemployment that lasted until August 2022, when the unemployment rate was just 3.5 percent. There was a slight uptick in unemployment following this low, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.3 percent the following July. This has been matched by a fall in the number of UK job vacancies, which reached a peak of 1.3 million in May 2022, but has been falling in every subsequent month, with approximately 932,000 vacancies in January 2024. Other UK key economic indicators Although the UK's labor market was quite well protected from the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, other parts of the economy took a more severe hit. The initial lockdown measures resulted in a huge fall to UK GDP, in April 2020 which took over a year to reach its pre-pandemic size. Economic growth has remained sluggish ever since the initial recovery, with the UK economy alternating between weak growth and slight contractions. The UK even entered a technical recession at the end of 2023, following two quarters of negative growth. Inflation also skyrocketed from late 2021 onwards, reaching a peak of 11.1 percent in October 2022. Even one year after that peak, inflation has proven stubborn to get down, with a rate of 4.6 percent in October 2023.

The first two cases of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in Italy were recorded between the end of January and the beginning of February 2020. Since then, the number of cases in Italy increased steadily, reaching over 26.9 million as of January 8, 2025. The region mostly hit by the virus in the country was Lombardy, counting almost 4.4 million cases. On January 11, 2022, 220,532 new cases were registered, which represented the biggest daily increase in cases in Italy since the start of the pandemic. The virus originated in Wuhan, a Chinese city populated by millions and located in the province of Hubei. More statistics and facts about the virus in Italy are available here.For a global overview, visit Statista's webpage exclusively dedicated to coronavirus, its development, and its impact.