The number of coronavirus cases worldwide stands at over 9.4 million.

The latest figures, compiled by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in the United States, totaled 9,491,799 cases as of 18:00 UTC on Thursday and 484,155 deaths.

The United States has recorded 2,398,491 cases -- the most of any country. It is followed by Brazil with 1,188,631, Russia with 613,148, India with 473,105 and Britain with 309,455.

The US also has the world's highest death toll at 122,238. Brazil has recorded 53,830 fatalities, followed by Britain with 43,314, Italy with 34,678 and France with 29,734.

As many as 20 million Americans may have contracted coronavirus rather than 2.3 million, health officials say

United States health officials believe as many as 20 million Americans have contracted the coronavirus. That's nearly 10 times as many infections as the 2.3 million cases that have been confirmed.

The pandemic is getting worse globally with the number of infections expected to reach 10 million next week, World Health Organization head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said.

A government whistle-blower ousted from a leading role in battling COVID-19 has alleged that the administration of US President Donald Trump has intensified its campaign to punish him for revealing shortcomings in the US response.

Dr Rick Bright, former director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, said in an amended complaint filed with a federal watchdog agency that he has been relegated to a lesser role in his new assignment at the National Institutes of Health, unable to lend his full expertise to the battle against COVID-19.

Source: Agencies