MOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/. The death toll from the novel coronavirus reached 700,647 worldwide, according to the US-based Johns Hopkins University, which relies on data provided by international organizations, federal and local authorities.

According to the research university, the highest death toll was recorded in the United States (more than 156,700), Brazil (over 95,800) and Mexico (over 48,800).

To date, more than 18.4 mln people have contracted the coronavirus worldwide. Most cases were recorded in the US (4,770,273). Brazil is ranked second for the number of cases (2,801,921), followed by India (1,855,921) and Russia (861,423 - according to data provided by the federal anti-coronavirus crisis center).

In late December 2019, Chinese officials informed the World Health Organization (WHO) about the outbreak of a previously unknown pneumonia in the city of Wuhan, in central China. Since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic.