Total death toll from COVID-19 could be at least 6-8 million: WHO

24th May 2021 | Source: Reuters

Volunteers from the Khan Trust prepare to cremate the body of a person who died from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at the Kurukshetra Crematorium in Surat, India, May 11, 2021.

At least 6-8 million people may have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic so far versus the World Health Organization's official toll of around 3.4 million, a WHO official said on Friday.

"...This number would truly be two to three times higher. So I think safely about 6 to 8 mill lion deaths could be an estimate on a cautionary note," said Samira Asma, WHO's Assistant Director-General in its data and analytics division at a virtual press briefing.