Zimbabwe’s first officially recorded COVID-19 death was Zororo Makamba, a youthful media personnel, a death that sent tremors across the country as the novel virus announced, I’m closer to home.
Until then, many Zimbabweans had watched the crisis unfold from a distance, in China, in Europe, in the United States. But when Makamba succumbed to the virus in March 2020, the pandemic suddenly became real. It was no longer breaking news from abroad. It was here.
Hospitals braced. Borders tightened. Streets emptied. Families prayed. Globally, the numbers would later swell into the millions. COVID-19 may no longer dominate headlines, but its scars remain. Families still grieve. Survivors still carry memories of ventilators, oxygen queues and frantic hospital calls. Businesses collapsed. Borders shut. Dreams paused.
Below is a comprehensive historical list of officially recorded COVID-19 deaths by country, based on Worldometer data during the pandemic reporting period.
Total Recorded COVID-19 Deaths by Country
1. USA – 1,219,487
2. Brazil – 711,380
3. India – 533,570
4. Russia – 402,756
5. Mexico – 334,958
6. UK – 232,112
7. Peru – 222,161
8. Italy – 196,487
9. Germany – 183,027
10. France – 167,642
11. Indonesia – 162,063
12. Iran – 146,811
13. Colombia – 143,200
14. Argentina – 130,841
15. Spain – 121,760
16. Poland – 120,598
17. Ukraine – 112,418
18. South Africa – 102,595
19. Turkey – 102,174
20. Japan – 74,694
21. Romania – 68,929
22. Philippines – 66,864
23. Chile – 64,497
24. Canada – 59,034
25. Hungary – 49,048
26. Czechia – 43,517
27. Vietnam – 43,206
28. Bulgaria – 38,748
29. Greece – 37,869
30. Malaysia – 37,348
31. South Korea – 35,934
32. Thailand – 34,586
33. Belgium – 34,376
34. Pakistan – 30,664
35. Tunisia – 29,500
36. Bangladesh – 29,435
37. Portugal – 28,126
38. Sweden – 27,407
39. Iraq – 25,375
40. Egypt – 24,930
41. Australia – 24,414
42. Netherlands – 22,992
43. Austria – 22,542
44. Slovakia – 21,224
45. Myanmar – 19,400
46. Kazakhstan – 19,100
47. Serbia – 18,400
48. Georgia – 17,200
49. Sri Lanka – 16,900
50. Morocco – 16,300
51. Bosnia & Herzegovina – 16,200
52. Switzerland – 14,452
53. Moldova – 12,160
54. Nepal – 12,000
55. Israel – 12,707
56. Finland – 10,300
57. Azerbaijan – 10,000
58. Saudi Arabia – 9,530
59. North Macedonia – 9,300
60. Panama – 8,727
61. Armenia – 8,670
62. Denmark – 8,300
63. Afghanistan – 7,870
64. Ethiopia – 7,540
65. Algeria – 6,880
66. Norway – 5,880
67. Zimbabwe – 5,740
68. Venezuela – 5,856
69. Kenya – 5,689
70. Belarus – 5,490
71. China – 5,272
72. Sudan – 4,230
73. Zambia – 4,077
74. Uganda – 3,652
75. Albania – 3,600
76. Malawi – 3,300
77. Nigeria – 3,230
78. Cambodia – 3,056
79. Mongolia – 2,120
80. Mozambique – 2,200
81. Kosovo – 2,200
82. UAE – 2,302
83. Singapore – 2,024
84. Uzbekistan – 1,650
85. Angola – 1,900
86. Kyrgyzstan – 1,540
87. Rwanda – 1,500
88. Tanzania – 846
89. Qatar – 702
90. Tajikistan – 524
91. Maldives – 316
92. Laos – 210
93. Burundi – 50
94. Bhutan – 21
Source: Worldometer (historical data as last updated during reporting period).
While statistics tell one story, the human cost tells another. For Zimbabwe and many African nations, limited health infrastructure made every surge a national emergency. Globally, the pandemic reshaped public health systems, vaccination strategies and emergency preparedness forever.
COVID-19 may have receded, but its lessons remain urgent.
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