The COVID-19 death toll in the US has topped 500,000, a staggering number that all but matches the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined. The US recorded an estimated 405,000 deaths in World War II, 58,000 in the Vietnam War and 36,000 in the Korean War. President Joe Biden held a sunset moment of silence and a candle-lighting ceremony at the White House on Monday and ordered American flags lowered at federal buildings for the next five days. “We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow,” Biden said. “We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur.”

Healthcare workers walk at a COVID-19 vaccination drive-through site at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. The United States has been the worst-hit nation in terms of COVID-19 cases and deaths. Pics/AFP