© Mark Felix / AFP / Getty Images
Registered respiratory therapist Niticia Mpanga enters Covid’s ICU patient room at Oakbend Medical Center in Richmond, Texas on July 15, 2020. -The latest model projects the number of COVID-19 deaths in the US to further increase, research team suggests near-universal use of masks could save 40,000 lives between now and November (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP / Getty Images)
At least 1,000 American coronavirus-related deaths were reported Tuesday, and the spread shows no signs of slowing down.
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The terrible death toll comes as states across the country report record numbers of new cases. More governors are making masks a requirement as testing labs and hospitals are overwhelmed. And officials are debating whether to send the children to school in person.
The only other time this month that the country crossed the 1,000 reported death threshold was on July 7, with 1,195 deaths reported. According to Johns Hopkins University data, a quarter of every day this year has seen more than 1,000 deaths in the US.
Experts say the virus is now spreading within American communities, and new data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also shows that infections could be more than 10 times greater than that. number of cases reported in some parts of the US At least 27 states have pressed the pause button in their reopening plans or have put new restrictions in place to help slow the spread of the virus.
But President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the pandemic is likely “unfortunately to get worse before it gets better,” a prediction echoed by other experts who have shared a grim outlook in the coming months in the country.
Last week, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield said fall and winter will likely be “one of the most difficult times we experience in American public health.”
Your coronavirus questions answered
Where cases are arising
While some American leaders, including the President, have pointed to the increase in the number of coronaviruses in increasing evidence, it is actually the prevalence of the disease that is causing cases to rise.
A CNN analysis of Covid Tracking Project test data reveals that the positive test rate, indicated by the average number of positive results out of 1,000 tests performed, has increased significantly in many states that have seen the largest increases in new tests. cases in recent weeks, including Florida, Arizona, Texas, and Georgia.
Florida, for example, had an average rate of 35 positive results for every 1,000 tests during the month of May. But in June, that number nearly tripled to 105. So far in July, the average rate has been 187 out of 1,000.
But Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that the state is on the “right track” in the fight against the virus.
“I think we will continue to see improvements, we just have to, particularly Floridians, we have to keep doing the basic things,” said the governor.
Over the weekend, nearly 50 hospitals across the state reported that there were no beds left in the ICU. Bed availability in the ICU statewide stood at approximately 15.98% on Tuesday, up from 18.1% on Monday.
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Youth Drive Case Spread in Los Angeles
California, the first state to close months ago, has now become a hot spot for coronaviruses, beating New York with the majority of coronavirus cases in the nation. Earlier this month, the governor closed bars and indoor operations for restaurants and other businesses in hopes of limiting social gatherings indoors.
In Los Angeles, the number of daily hospitalizations peaked for the fourth time in a week on Monday, according to authorities. Los Angeles County officials said Tuesday that the youth were driving the spread of the virus, with 57% of new cases reported in people younger than 41.
“The tragedy of what we are witnessing is that many of our younger residents are interacting with each other and not adhering to recommended prevention measures,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, county director of public health, in a statement.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told CNN earlier this week that he was “on the verge” of issuing another order to stay home for the city, urging residents to avoid meetings.
Why it is now difficult to control the spread of Covid
With high levels of virus transmission, traditional contact tracing, which health officials once said would be key to controlling the spread of the virus if the cases were at manageable levels, has now become “impractical and difficult. of doing”. California Health Secretary Mark Ghaly said.
The state is working to refine strategies and continue to work with counties to build its “tracking army,” but Ghaly cautions that “even a very strong contact tracking program will have a hard time coming up with each case.”
Tracking contacts is now more difficult across the country, while test results take days, according to the country’s leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci. Quest Diagnostics, a leading commercial testing laboratory, said in a press release Monday that for some patients, test results can take up to two weeks.
“The time period from the time a test is performed to the time the results are obtained is sometimes measured in a few days,” Fauci said Tuesday.
“If that’s the case, deny the purpose of the contract follow-up because if you don’t know if that person recovers the results in a reasonable period of time, 24 hours, 48 hours maximum … that really mitigates against getting good tracing and good insulation. “
But challenges in controlling the spread also stem from the ongoing debates around face covers. While at least 39 states have some mask time requirement now, there are plenty of leaders across the country who have resisted making masks mandatory.
In Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp sued Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms last week over her decision to order masks in the city. Citing the Georgia situation, Senator Elizabeth Warren appealed to the CDC director this week to request that the agency use its powers to implement and expand the mask mandates.
Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague made masks a requirement in public places and outdoors when social estrangement is not possible, challenging the state governor who says cities have no authority to establish mandates for mask.
“The scientific data and evidence is clear. Masks and masks are a safe and effective way to reduce case numbers,” said the mayor.
These are the states that require masks.
This is what’s at play:
With the continued spread, if you don’t yet know someone infected with Covid-19, officials have said that is likely to change in the coming weeks as the country’s infections continue to rise.
More than 150,000 Americans will die from the virus before August 8, according to a joint forecast released by the CDC.
The previous forecast, released on July 9, projected approximately 147,000 coronavirus deaths by August 1.
The future of the pandemic in the country will also help determine what the school will be like.
Trump has said he is pressuring governors to reopen schools in an attempt to reopen the country. But parents and educators protested the return to class, saying that while children don’t get as sick from the virus, they can still contribute to transmission.
And several districts across the country have announced that they will only offer virtual classes for at least the first few weeks of the next semester.
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