The world reached another staggering milestone on Tuesday, pushing past 20 million COVID-19 cases with 736,000 deaths — a doubling of 10 million cases in just over six weeks that shows the perils of reopening battered economies while the coronavirus spreads.
That is particularly true in the United States, with a quarter of all infections. Worldwide, 12.2 million people have recovered from COVID-19, which most commonly leads to fever, a dry cough and shortness of breath. Less common is a loss of smell, diarrhea and vomiting, and skin problems. Some people are contagious without experiencing symptoms.