The organization's director-general announced bad news but also offered some hope as countries join the effort to find a COVID-19 cure.

Iran PressEurope: The number of deaths due to coronavirus will pass 50,000 within the "next few days", according to the World Health Organization.

The organization's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that the growing number of COVID-19 deaths was "deeply concerning".

"As we enter the fourth month since the start of the pandemic, I'm deeply concerned about the rapid escalation and global spread of infection," he added.

He went on to say that "over the past five weeks, we have witnessed a near exponential growth in the number of new cases reaching almost every country, territory, and area. The number of cases has more than doubled in the past week. In the next few days, we will reach one million confirmed cases and 50,000 deaths."

However, he did offer some hope, saying that the organization - thanks to worldwide co-operation - was learning more about the disease every day.

He said: "Three months ago we knew almost nothing about this virus but collectively we have learned an enormous amount and every day we learn more."

His words came as the number of confirmed cases worldwide sat at around 927,000 and the number of deaths more than 46,000.

220

Read More:

Mass production of diagnostic kits makes Iran more prepared to contain COVID-19

Corona death toll reached 775 in Germany

US awaits 'painful' two weeks ahead, projecting more than 100,000 deaths