The coronavirus death toll in the United States passed the grim 40,000 benchmark on Sunday, accounting for nearly a quarter of all virus-related deaths worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. More than 746,379 Americans have tested positive for the virus and at least 41,379 people have died of it, a higher confirmed number than in any other country, according to Johns Hopkins. The death count spiked last week after New York City, the epicenter of the outbreak, updated its numbers to include people who never tested positive for coronavirus but most likely died from it.