There are more than 400 million known cases of COVID-19 infection worldwide. Just a month ago, that number was 300 million.
This staggering growth is thought to have been driven by the highly contagious Omiljung;
New infections and hospitalizations in the United States have decreased, and mask wearing requirements have been relaxed in many states such as New York and Massachusetts. The White House is meeting low-key with experts to discuss how to transition to a "new normal";
After the Lunar New Year, cases surged in many parts of Asia. South Korea reported nearly 50,000 new single-day cases on Wednesday, breaking records again. Similar spikes in infections have occurred in places such as Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong.