Virus cases surge in Americas as IMF warns of economic carnage

More than 78,000 people were diagnosed with COVID-19 in the US and in Brazil alone Wednesday, as the IMF laid out the unprecedented economic devastation caused by the global pandemic and the WHO warned the number of infections could reach 10 million worldwide within the next week. As many countries emerged from lockdown hoping to resurrect their economies, US states were reimposing virus restrictions and Brazilian experts were warning the country was sending people 'to the slaughterhouse.' The International Monetary Fund said that this 'crisis like no other' would send the global GDP plunging by 4.9 percent this year and wipe out an astonishing $12 trillion over two years.