The World Health Organization is warning there may never be a “silver bullet” to defeat the coronavirus.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: “There is no silver bullet at the moment, and there might never be. For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control: testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts.”

This comes as the confirmed global death toll approaches 700,000, though the true number is believed to be far higher. The BBC is reporting leaked records from the Iranian government show almost 42,000 Iranians have died from the virus — nearly triple the number reported by the health ministry.

In Latin America, the total number of cases has now topped 5 million, with more than 200,000 deaths. Brazil has recorded almost 95,000 coronavirus deaths — the world’s second-highest total. Mexico is third highest with 48,000 deaths. On Monday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s chief of staff tested positive for the virus, making him the seventh Brazilian minister to have contracted the infection.