With single-day case record, US COVID-19 total tops 3 million

Trump claims the surge in Covid-19 cases is only because of increased testing. But increased testing does not explain the increase in spike in the number of deaths and hospitalizations.

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/07/single-day-case-record-us-covid-19-total-tops-3-million

Stephanie Soucheray
| News Reporter | CIDRAP News | University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
| Jul 08, 2020


Once again, the United States saw its highest daily total of COVID-19 cases yesterday, with 60,000 new cases recorded and more than 3 million total on the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 tracker.

The previous record was more than 50,000 cases, which was set last week. The country now has 3,035,231 COVID-19 cases, including 132,041 deaths.
Three hard-hit states

This rise in cases began at the end of May, following the reopening of most states' local economies. Florida, Texas, and Arizona continue to harbor some of the largest outbreaks.

In Texas yesterday, officials tallied more 10,000 new cases, a state record. Texas is the third state to report a single-day increase of more than 10,000 cases, after New York and Florida. As of yesterday, 9,200 Texans were hospitalized for the virus. Two counties, Hidalgo and Starr, have reported that hospitals are now at capacity.

In total, Texas has 210,585 cases of COVID-19, including 2,715 fatalities.

In Florida, 84% of the state's intensive care unit (ICU) beds are occupied, as 1 in 100 residents are now infected with the novel virus. Out of the state's 5,023 ICU beds, only 962 are still available.

•••••

https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2020/07/us-notes-62000-covid-cases-another-record-breaking-day

US notes 62,000 COVID cases in another record-breaking day

Stephanie Soucheray | News Reporter | CIDRAP News
| Jul 09, 2020


Caution urged

Yesterday US officials reported 62,751 new cases of COVID-19, setting yet another record in a summertime surge that has swept across much of the South and West.

Though Florida, Arizona, and Texas still lead in the number of new cases, Oklahoma and Louisiana are reporting spikes. And according to the Washington Post five states—Alabama, Iowa, Missouri, Montana and Wisconsin—hit daily records today.

In total, the country has 3,088,913 cases of the novel coronavirus, including 132,934 deaths, by far the most infections and fatalities of any country.

Today on a podcast produced by the Wall Street Journal, Anthony Fauci, MD, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he thinks states seeing a spike in cases should consider shutting down local economies.

"Be mindful of what happens when you open up and throw caution to the wind," Fauci said.

In Tulsa, health officials said the increase in cases is likely at least partially tied to a Jun 20 campaign rally for President Trump and accompanying protests. The rally was held indoors with no enforced social distancing or mask use.

"In the past few days, we've seen almost 500 new cases, and we had several large events just over two weeks ago, so I guess we just connect the dots," Tulsa City-County Health Department Director Bruce Dart, MD, said yesterday.

Houston sees increase in at-home deaths

Houston has seen an increase in the number of people dying at home, ProPublica reports, which could be an indicator that these deaths are caused by untested COVD-19 infections.

The uptick in the number of people dying before they can even reach a hospital in Houston parallels what happened in New York City in March and April.

Data collected by ProPublica from the Houston Fire Department show a 45% jump since February in the number of cardiac arrest calls that ended with paramedics declaring people dead upon arrival. In June, dead-on-arrival calls grew to nearly 300, more than 75 in excess of either of the previous two Junes.

Yesterday Texas reported 9,979 new cases of COVID-19, and said a record number of people were hospitalized: 9,610. Harris County, which includes most of Houston, has 39,311 cases and 407 deaths.

•••••