Are US and UK reaping benefits of vaccination?

The US and the UK, two nations that were completely overwhelmed with cases at the start of 2021, are now defying this trend while fresh waves of infections in mainland Europe, Brazil and India in the past month have pushed the global trajectory.

• After 40 days of decline, the global curve is rising again

In the middle of January, the world case rate started receding for the first time ever, with daily new infections seeing a steady drop for 40 days straight (from Jan 12 to Feb 20) – something that did not happen at any other time in the 14 months of the pandemic’s run across the world. However, with new waves starting in mainland Europe and India, this trend has again turned, with global cases rising again

Two nations are defying the global trend of resurgence of infections – the US and the UK. (REUTERS)

In the middle of January, the world case rate started receding for the first time ever. (HT Illustration)

• Countries behind the global resurgence of cases

Among 10 of the nations worst hit by Covid-19 in the world, four countries appear to be currently responsible for the global resurgence of cases. In absolute numbers, Brazil is currently the world’s biggest Covid hot spot – the South American nation has reported 67,142 cases a day on average in the past week. The seven-day average of cases in the country has gone up 52% in the past month, data from worldometers.info shows. India, on the other hand, has seen the most increase in cases in the past month – 113%. Italy, reporting 22,437 cases a day in the last week, has seen an 84% increase in the past month, while France (24,082 average daily cases) has experienced a 32% increase in cases in the last 30 days

Brazil is currently the world’s biggest Covid hot spot – the South American nation has reported 67,142 cases a day on average in the past week. (HT Illustration)

• Vaccine effect? The US, UK defy global trend, see cases go down

Two nations, however, are defying the global trend of resurgence of infections – the US and the UK. At the start of 2021, both were hammered by massive surges. The US, the world’s worst-hit nation, was experiencing its third and strongest wave, while the UK saw a massive uptick in cases due to a new variant of the virus. In the past month, they have seen their daily case rate drop by 42% and 56% respectively – the most among world’s worst-hit regions.

In the past month, the US and the UK have seen their daily case rate drop by 42% and 56% respectively – the most among world’s worst-hit regions (HT Illustration)

• So why are they performing much better?

The US and the UK have administered 326,200 and 383,900 doses per million residents respectively. Among the world’s 10 worst-hit nations, this is nearly three times as many doses than their closest competitor (Turkey, with 133,500 shots per million). (HT Illustration)



The answer to this lies in their vaccination roll-out. With the populations of countries taken into account, these two are by far the front-runners in administering shots. The US and the UK have administered 326,200 and 383,900 doses per million residents respectively. Among the world’s 10 worst-hit nations, this is nearly three times as many doses than their closest competitor (Turkey, with 133,500 shots per million)