US marks deadliest day of Covid-19 pandemic as experts mull expanding vaccine distribution

 

An example of why we should have taken better measures to flatten the curve of the infection.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/07/health/us-coronavirus-thursday/index.html

 

By Madeline Holcombe and Dakin Andone

Jan. 7, 2021

 

The United States reported 3,865 Covid-19 deaths on Wednesday, the highest number of deaths reported in a single day since the pandemic began.

The nation's death toll as of Thursday stands at more than 362,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, while the number of people who have been infected has topped more than 21.3 million. 

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's most recent forecast projected there will be between 405,000 and 438,000 deaths

 by the end of the month. The previous forecast, published December 30, projected up to 424,000 deaths by January 23.
The ongoing spread of the virus and climbing number of deaths come even as the US is working to distribute vital Covid-19 vaccines -- a process that has been criticized for being too slow. 

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Meantime, hospitals are being flooded with coronavirus patients, with a record 132,476 patients in US hospitals on Wednesday, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

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As of Thursday, a person was dying of Covid-19 in the county every 8 minutes.

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 At least 56 cases of a coronavirus variant first discovered in the UK have been identified in the United States, after health officials in Texas and Connecticut announced cases in their states.

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Van Kerkhove pointed out that many mutations won't have much of an impact on the virus, but if a virus changes its genetics in just the right way, tests might not be able to detect it as easily, and vaccines might not work as well against it.

The virus has more chances to mutate in countries like the United States, which is seeing unprecedented and uncontrolled spread.

She pointed out that some countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, have done a better job controlling the pandemic.

"It's completely up to us to be able to bring the virus under control," she said. "The virus is controllable, including these variants."