The number of confirmed COVID-19 infections globally is closing in on the 90 million mark as the number of virus-related deaths has surpassed 1.9 million, according to the latest data from the Johns Hopkins University.

The U.S. based institution's latest figures show that there have been 89,027,158 cases and 1,916,503 deaths reported globally since the pandemic began.

The U.S. remains to be the world's hardest-hit country by the virus, having reported 21,879,748 infections and 369,068 deaths.

The country accounts for 24.58 percent of the global infections and 19.26 percent of all the virus-related fatalities.

Its caseload is more than double the number reported by the country with the second-highest virus tally.

India's 10,431,639 cases make it the only other country globally to have registered more than 10 million COVID-19 infections. That figure is accompanied by a death toll of 150,798.

On the other hand, Brazil's 201,460 fatalities make it the only other country globally to have reported more than 200,000 COVID-19 deaths.

Apart from the U.S., Brazil and India, Mexico's 132,069 virus-related deaths make it the only other country globally to have recorded more than 100,000 fatalities.

A total of 18 countries have registered more than one million COVID-19 cases.