The number of global coronavirus cases will exceed one million in the coming days after a "near exponential growth", the director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Wednesday, director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the number of deaths had doubled in the last week alone.
He forecast the number of cases would reach one million in a matter of days and deaths would soon hit 50,000.
“As we enter the fourth month since the start of the pandemic, I am deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection,” said the director general.
“Over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new Covid-19 cases, reaching almost every country, territory and area.
“In the next few days we will reach one million confirmed Covid-19 cases and 50,000 deaths.”
Governments around the world have been tackling the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators by turning to alternative manufacturers and suppliers for the essential equipment.
Dr Rinesh Parmer, the chair of the Doctors' Association warned some doctors in the UK could leave their profession because they feel there is a "widespread lack" of protective equipment.
Dr Ghebreyesus said WHO’s priority was for frontline health workers to be able to access PPE, including medical masks and respirators.
“That’s why we are continuing to work with governments and manufacturers to step-up the production and distribution of personal protective equipment, including masks,” he added.
The new global tally of cases comes as the UK's death toll jumped by 563 to 2,352, the biggest daily rise yet. Infections now stand at more than 29,000.
Meanwhile a six-week old baby died in the US, in what is believed to be one of the youngest fatal cases of the coronavirus anywhere in the world.
The US has 215,300 cases and more than 5,000 confirmed deaths.
President Donald Trump warned Americans on Tuesday of a "painful" two weeks ahead.
The rate of infection in Italy is slowing, but its death toll, already the highest in the world, increased by another 727 victims to 13,155 yesterday.
Dr Ghebreyesus stressed that the first ever pandemic caused by a coronavirus was a new virus and that there were many unknowns.
“Let’s accept things with an open mind and trust what is coming,” he said.
