This COVID-19 testing site was set up in Kelowna last spring. More testing locations are available now as case numbers continue to rise.

(CARLI BERRY / iNFOnews.ca)

In the nine months the world has lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, this past month has seen some of the most dramatic jumps in the number of cases detected.

That’s certainly the case in B.C. where about one third (4,655) of the province’s 13,875 cases were recorded in October.

Daily numbers of new cases surpassing 200 are now normal. The last time there were less than 200 was on Oct. 20 with 167. A record 317 were reported on Oct. 24.

While that is frightening for many B.C. residents, it’s much better than what others are facing in much of Canada and around the world.

Raw numbers of cases and deaths don't tell the full story since populations vary greatly by province or country.

A more revealing calculation is cases or deaths per 100,000 population.

Here’s how B.C. stacks up. (All figures as reported Oct. 29)

COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population

• 600 – Canada
• 274 – B.C.
• 608 – Alberta
• 248 – Saskatchewan
• 343 – Manitoba
• 500 – Ontario
• 1,212 – Quebec

Number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in Canada.

Image Credit: Submitted/Government of Canada

Of course, cases per 100,000 can be influenced by how many people are tested. Another, more dramatic, measure is deaths per 100,000.

Here’s how B.C. compares.

• 27 – Canada
• 5 – B.C.
• 7 – Alberta
• 2 – Saskatchewan
• 4 – Manitoba
• 21 – Ontario
• 73 – Quebec

Number of COVID-19 deaths per 100,000 population in Canada.

Image Credit: Submitted/Government of Canada

When it comes to the world picture, Canada has the 35th highest rate of death per 100,000 population out of 168 countries.

San Marino, a tiny “micro-state” with about 34,000 residents in the north of Italy tops the list at 124 deaths per 100,000 after recording 42 deaths.

Peru comes in at number two with 107 deaths per 100,000. It has recorded 34,257 deaths out of a population of 32 million. Canada has about 38 million residents and has recorded 10,084 deaths for a rate of 27 per 100,000.

Other countries ranking worse than Canada in deaths per 100,000 include:

• 95 – Belgium
• 76 – Bolivia
• 75 – Spain
• 75 – Brazil
• 71 – Mexico
• 69 – United States
• 68 – United Kingdom
• 62 – Italy
• 58 – Sweden
• 53 – France
• 41 – Iran
• 39 – Ireland
• 33 – South Africa
• 27 – Canada

The United States has the highest death toll in the world at almost 228,000. Brazil and India are the only other countries to report more than 100,000 deaths.

About three dozen countries have recorded less than one death per 100,000 population including China, Vietnam and New Zealand.

Taiwan is at the bottom of the fatality list at .03 deaths per 100,000 with seven recorded deaths out of a population of 24 million.

There have now been almost 45 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide with close to 1.2 million deaths.

See Canadian data here.

See World data here.

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