By Ali Murat Alhas
ANKARA (AA) - Since emerging in the Wuhan city of China in late December 2019, the novel coronavirus has quickly spread to all corners of the world, with more than 1.61 million confirmed cases worldwide, while the global death toll is nearing 100,000 and recovered cases stand over 364,600.
In an effort to deal with the disease known as COVID-19, the global community started adopting measures depending on their healthcare system, fiscal condition, social and political network, and self-sufficiency.
Regarded as one of the most effective ways to deal with a quickly spreading disease, testing has rapidly become important for it gives authorities the opportunity to isolate the infected individuals and stem the spread of the virus. The WHO's director general said in mid-March: "We have a simple message for all countries: test, test, test."
The countries in Europe, addressed as the "new epicenter of coronavirus" after China, quickly embarked on this approach and started using testing kits.
- Europe
According to the data available on worldometers.info, an online source for global statistics, Germany, which has over 2,600 deaths from the virus, has so far used 1,317,887 tests, corresponding to 15,730 tests in a million.
The death toll stands over 12,200 in France, which has practiced over 333,800 tests. In an average of 5,114 people in a million have been tested. With its nearly 68 million population, the U.K. has yet used 298,169 tests, meaning 4,392 people were tested per one million.
As for Italy, where the virus toll stands over 18,000, more than 853,369 tests have been used so far, meaning over 14,114 individuals in a million were tested.
Ranking second with the highest number of confirmed cases worldwide, Spain has so far applied 355,000 tests. With nearly 47 million residents, the country's testing ratio in a million stands at 7,593.
The testing ratio per million in the Netherlands and Belgium goes as 5,926 and 7,269, respectively.
- Asia
The testing approach is not any different in Asia, as countries have so far used countless detection tests.
With a population of 1.38 billion, India has used 177,584 coronavirus tests so far while the country has announced 6,771 confirmed cases.
Indonesia, where some 273 million people live, the health authorities have used 17,679 tests, corresponding to 65 tests per million population. Having registered 4,601 cases, Pakistan practiced 54,706 tests, meaning testing ratio per a million stands at 248.
While the death toll in Japan has climbed to almost 100, the country has applied a total of 64,387 tests, 509 in a million have been tested so far.
South Korea, for its part, has used 503,051 tests for its over 51 million population. While the ratio in South Korea stands at 9,812, many officials believe the country's quick resting response to the virus played a key role in the containment of the disease.
On the other hand, the Philippines applied a total of 24,500 tests and the country's testing ratio per million is 224.
With a population of 164 million, Bangladesh has conducted 7,167, meaning 44 people in a million were tested.
Notably, the Russian death toll of from virus is currently 94, and the country has held 1,090,000 tests, corresponding to 7,469 in a million.
As for China, where the novel coronavirus first emerged, the administration has not shared any official data on coronavirus testing according to the website.
- Middle East, Africa
Iran, where the virus spread shortly after China, has used a total of 231,393 tests so far, while there are over 66,000 registered cases. Statistically, 2,755 people in a million have been tested so far.
As for Iraq, 30,466 diagnosis tests have been used for a population over 40 million, corresponding to the testing of 757 in a million.
With 3,287 registered cases and death toll of 44, Saudi Arabia's test per million ratio is 3,320 with conducted 115,585 tests.
Egypt has used 25,000 tests, and whereas the death toll is now 118, the country's testing ratio is 244 per million.
Additionally, Israel has conducted 117,339 tests in total and testing per million stands at 13,557.
Nigeria, standing as Africa's most populated country with its 206 million citizens, has used 5,000 tests so far, meaning a total of 24 people in a million were tested.
With 65 registered cases, Ethiopia has officially conducted 3,232 diagnosis tests, corresponding to 28 in a million.
There are currently 1,934 confirmed cases in South Africa, which has held 68,874 tests so far. The testing ratio per million stands at 1,161.
- Americas
The U.S. is ranked first with its 468,895 virus cases while the death toll is 16,697. So far, 2,376,977 tests have been conducted in the country, meaning testing ratio per million is 7,181.
Canada has conducted 370,315 tests and the number of total cases topped 20,000. According to statistics, 9,812 people in a million were tested.
While death tally is nearing 1,000 in Brazil, the country has used 62,985 tests which correspond to 296 per million.
The registered cases in Argentina are nearing 2,000 and the country's testing per million ratio stands at 329, with 14,850 conducted tests.
With 34,910 tests, the ratio in Colombia is 686, while the Mexicans have conducted 31,492 tests, meaning 244 in a million.
A total of 338,346 tests have been conducted in Australia and the current testing per million ratio is 13,269.
According to the latest information provided by the Turkish Health Ministry, the country has over 42,000 confirmed cases and the death toll is 908. So far, 276,338 tests have been used in the country to diagnose infected individuals.
The novel coronavirus has so far spread to at least 185 countries and regions.
Data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University shows worldwide infections surpassed 1.61 million, with the death toll above 97,000, while more than 364,600 people have recovered so far.