Covid pandemic killed 13 to 17 million in 2020-21: WHO br br The Covid-19 pandemic killed 13.3 to 16.6 million people in 2020 and 2021, says the World Health Organization - up to triple the number of deaths attributed directly to the disease. br br The WHO's long-awaited estimate of the total number of deaths caused by the pandemic -- including lives lost to its knock-on effects -- finally puts a number on the broader impact of the crisis.