Smaller countries hit hard by virus
Figures may seem low, but the effect is huge
The world view of coronavirus has been dominated by the sheer number of cases in countries such as China, Italy, Spain and now the U.S., where tens of thousands of people have the virus and hundreds have died.
But COVID-19 is also wreaking havoc in smaller countries, with more limited resources, where the volume of cases isn’t as high, but the proportion of people affected is greater.
In San Marino, the virus has spread to more than 200 people, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, since the first case was reported Feb. 27. At least 21 people have died. With a population of only 34,000, the total number of cases means the virus is affecting about one out of every 200 people in the country.
If you scaled the number up so you could compare San Marino, one of the smallest independent states in Europe, to a country such as the U.S., the rate of COVID-19 cases in San Marino would amount to more than 6,100 out of every one million people. The virus is similarly affecting countries such as Iceland, where there are more than 730 confirmed cases in a population of about 340,000. At least two people have died.
In the U.S., the rate of confirmed infections now stands at around 200 for every one million people. In comparison, Canada has about 87 cases per one million people.
The graphic above shows how countries compare when looking at number of cases versus the rate according to one million population.