As of January 9, 2023, the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) had spread to almost every country in the world, and 6.7 million people had died after contracting the respiratory virus. Over 1.1 million of these deaths occurred in the United States.

The crisis is not over

Almost every country and territory worldwide have been affected by the COVID-19 disease. At the end of 2021 the virus was once again circulating at very high rates, even in countries with relatively high vaccination rates such as the United States and Germany. As rates of new infections increased, some countries in Europe, like Germany and Austria, tightened restrictions once again, specifically targeting those who were not yet vaccinated. However, by spring 2022, rates of new infections had decreased in many countries and restrictions were once again lifted.