About a dozen different vaccines are in various stages of testing worldwide, including in Britain, China and the US. Though experts believe a vaccine against COVID-19 will be available by the end of this year or early next year, there has been nothing concrete to cure the deadly respiratory disease. In the absence of any treatment, many countries emerged from lockdown hoping to resurrect their economies, but new cases rose to dire new levels in many places, potentially wiping out two months of progress.

'US letting disaster unfold'

US states were re-imposing virus restrictions and Brazilian experts were warning the country was sending people "to the slaughterhouse." More than 78,000 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the US and in Brazil alone on Wednesday, with 34,700 in the US, the highest in two months. Hospital administrators and health experts have warned desperately that parts of the US are on the verge of becoming overwhelmed by a resurgence of the COVID-19, lamenting that politicians and a tired-of-being-cooped-up public are letting a disaster unfold.