The number of confirmed coronavirus deaths around the world surpassed 50,000 Thursday as the number of cases topped 1 million, according to tracking by Johns Hopkins University.

The coronavirus pandemic, which emerged out of China late last year, has hit the United States and Europe especially hard.

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The U.S. currently leads the world in the number of confirmed infections, with more than 226,000, a number that continues to climb. More than 5,300 deaths have been reported, and earlier this week, the White House coronavirus task force warned that up to 240,000 people in the U.S. could die from the outbreak, even if “we do things almost perfectly.”

That projection is made assuming that current social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders issued by states across the country remain in place. The Trump administration has recommended Americans stay home and avoid gathering in groups of 10 or more through April to curb the spread of the highly transmissible virus.

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The majority of states have suspended school and business operations and ordered residents to stay at home for all but essential activities.

About 60 percent of deaths reported worldwide have come out of four European countries: Italy, Spain, France and Great Britain.

Italy has reported the most coronavirus deaths worldwide, with more than 13,000. Spain surpassed 10,000 deaths Thursday and France tallied more than 4,000 fatalities. Britain has recorded nearly 3,000 deaths.

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