A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1 million people worldwide.
Over 36.4 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has varied from country-to-country. Still, the actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks.
Since the first cases were detected in China in December, the virus has rapidly spread to every continent except Antarctica.
The United States is the worst-affected country, with more than 7.6 million diagnosed cases and at least 212,716 deaths.
California has the most cases of any U.S. state, with more than 845,000 people diagnosed, according to Johns Hopkins data. California is followed by Texas and Florida, with over 807,000 cases and over 726,000 cases, respectively.
More than 190 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.
Here's how the news developed today. All times Eastern.
Oct 08, 2020, 9:03 PM EDT
4 states report record new cases
Four states reported record numbers of new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, according to The COVID Tracking Project.
Wisconsin, North Dakota, Wyoming and Utah saw the high case counts, as the virus surges in the Upper Midwest and parts of the West.
Wisconsin, North Dakota and Wyoming also reported a record number of current hospitalizations, according to the tracker.
Montana reported a record number of hospitalizations on Thursday, a day after it saw a record for new cases.
Oct 08, 2020, 7:27 PM EDT
Doctor says Trump can return to public engagements on Saturday
President Donald Trump's doctors said he has "responded extremely well to treatment" for COVID-19 and should be able to return to public engagements on Saturday, according to a memo released Thursday evening.
"Since returning home, his physical exam has remained stable and devoid of any indications of illness," Dr. Sean Conley wrote. "Overall he's responded extremely well to treatment, without evidence on examination of adverse therapeutic effects."
President Donald Trump stands on the balcony outside of the Blue Room as returns to the White House Monday, Oct. 5, 2020.
Alex Brandon/AP
The doctor also said Trump should be able to return to the campaign trail on Saturday. Trump had fought for an in-person debate with former Vice President Donald Trump this week, but the Commission on Presidential Debates decided to make the event virtual and Trump said he would not participate.
"Saturday will be day 10 since Thursday's diagnosis, and based on the trajectory of advanced diagnostics the team has been conducting, I fully anticipate the President's safe return to public engagements at that time," Conley wrote.
The Trump campaign had canceled all of Trump's events when he was diagnosed with COVID-19. It has not yet announced when he will return to the campaign trail
Oct 08, 2020, 2:52 PM EDT
Ohio cases on ‘concerning upward trend’
Ohio reported 1,539 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, in what the governor called the continuation of a “concerning upward trend.”
Andrew Robinson, a Kent State sophomore, takes a COVID test in Ohio, Oct. 2, 2020. The Ohio Pandemic Testing Team from the Ohio National Guard, with Kent Health Department, provide free COVID-19 test at Kent State University.
Lisa Scalfaro/Record-Courier via USA Today Networks
“Ohio’s positivity rate has jumped to 3.9% and the 7-day rolling average is 3.3%,” Gov. Mike DeWine tweeted. “This reflects the ongoing increasing trend of virus spread that we are seeing throughout the state. These numbers are not good.”
Thirteen more deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the state’s fatality total to 4,983, according to numbers released by the governor. Over 164,000 people in Ohio have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Oct 08, 2020, 11:52 AM EDT
150 million people set to fall into 'extreme poverty' due to pandemic, World Bank warns
The World Bank has warned that 150 million people could fall into "extreme poverty" by the end of 2021, due to the coronavirus pandemic and accompanying worldwide recession with the levels of poverty set to rise for the first time in 20 years.
In its biennial report on poverty and shared prosperity, the World Bank estimates between 9.1% and 9.4% of the global population would be affected by extreme poverty, which the multilateral development lender defines as living on under $1.90 a day. Had the pandemic not hit, the rate was forecast to fall to 7.9% this year.
"In order to reverse this serious setback to development progress and poverty reduction, countries will need to prepare for a different economy post-COVID, by allowing capital, labor, skills and innovation to move into new businesses and sectors," World Bank president David Malpass said in a statement Wednesday.
An woman collects fire wood as she carries her child in the Boragaon area of Guwahati, India, on June 4, 2018.
Biju Boro/AFP via Getty Images
While extreme poverty rates are on the rise, around a quarter of the world's population live on less than $3.20 per day and more than 40% live on $5.50.
Overall, levels of extreme poverty have been steadily declining over the past quarter of a decade. Some 1.9 billion people lived in extreme poverty in 1990, compared to 689 million in 2017, according to the World Bank. In addition to the coronavirus pandemic, the report cites military conflict and climate change as two significant factors behind the recent reversal.
Extreme poverty is usually most keenly felt in rural areas, but that is now spreading to urban hubs. Around 82% of the number of people forecast to slide into extreme poverty will be living in middle-income countries, according to the report.
