Shawdesh desk:

The global COVID-19 caseload reached 81.9 million on Wednesday amid reports of a new, more contagious coronavirus variant affecting a number of countries.

Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University (JHU) put the caseload at 81,996,540 with 1,789,905 fatalities.

In the US, the worst-hit country, the infection tally topped 19.5 million, while the death toll climbed to 338,561.

AP reported that the first US case of the COVID-19 variant that’s been seen in the United Kingdom was discovered in

The variant was found in a man in his 20s who is in isolation southeast of Denver in Elbert County and has no travel history, state health officials said.

Scientists in the UK believe the variant is more contagious than previously identified strains. The vaccines being given now are thought to be effective against the variant, Colorado health officials said in a news release.

Brazil registered 1,111 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours till Tuesday, the highest daily count fatalities since October 3, when 1,307 people died, the Health Ministry said.

The death toll from COVID-19 nationwide has reached 192,681.

Meanwhile, 58,718 new cases were detected in the last 24 hours, the highest daily tally since Dec 17, bringing the nationwide caseload to 7,563,551.

The South American country has the third-largest COVID-19 outbreak in the world.

Meanwhile, India’s COVID-19 tally reached 10,244,852 while the death toll mounted to 148,439 as of Wednesday morning.