The United States, for the first time since early August, has clinched the top spot for the number of new daily reported cases from the coronavirus disease, reaching a whopping figure of 60,000 new COVID-19 cases. It is reported that more than 36,000 people have been admitted to various hospitals around the country. This report heightens new fears that the fall season might have brought about a hike in COVID-19 cases.
The recent hike in cases is not restricted to some particular regions but has affected every part of the country, including spreading to the hinterlands and coastal communities.
On Thursday, Wisconsin set a new record of 4,000 newly reported cases. Illinois, in the same stride, set a new record high of more than 4,000. These latest figures surpassed the records of the state during the high point in the outbreak of the pandemic in April and May. Ohio also created a new record, so did states like Indiana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Montana, and Colorado. New lockdown measures have been ordered in a place like El Paso.
The Wisconsin Department of Health agreed that it was only going to get worse before things got better. It advised citizens to observe all the safety protocols associated with the pandemic. Moreso, with the recent hike in cases that the state has witnessed.
Hospitals are getting overwhelmed. Some hospitals in the upper Midwest and Great Plains were filled with patients. The state had to open a field hospital on the premises of the Wisconsin State Fair Park, just outside of Milwaukee.
Montana had about 301 patients admitted to various hospitals; a record number for the state. In the past week, about 20 US states set new seven-day records for COVID-19 cases.
Experts said the reopening of schools, colleges, and businesses might have contributed in no small measure to the second wave of the virus that the country is witnessing.
A slight rise in the number of fatalities has followed this increase in cases in the country since August. However, the experience of health workers since the pandemic began has also contributed to the reasons why deaths have not risen geometrically. The use of potent steroids and other experimental drugs has also reduced mortality rates among patients.
Experts warn that the cold season is proving the right condition for the rapid transmission of the disease.
The country reached the 50,000 cases on October 3, and since then, there have been fears that the 60,000 marks would be reached sooner rather than later. On Thursday, predictions came true when the daily cases were pegged at more than 63,500 – the highest since July 31.
And now, according to an analysis by the post, the total number of cases in the US since the pandemic began might reach 8 million by Friday. As of Thursday, the official death toll was nearly 217,000.
As the holiday season approaches, the CDC urges people to avoid attending in-person holiday events, especially older people and those with chronic conditions.
A study by some Harvard researchers said that the coronavirus seems to be spreading more in Republican-controlled counties and that the number of cases and deaths aligns with voters’ voting patterns. Although the research has not been submitted for peer-reviews, there are fears that the study likely reflects the adherence of these citizens to the policy statements of most republican leaders who have downplayed the use of masks.
Source: washingtonpost.com
