Coronavirus updates: US adding cases faster than 1 per second, nearing 9M cases; Fauci supports mask mandate; 228K US deaths - USA TODAY
Coronavirus updates: US adding cases faster than 1 per second, nearing 9M cases; Fauci supports mask mandate; 228K US deaths - USA TODAY |
- Coronavirus updates: US adding cases faster than 1 per second, nearing 9M cases; Fauci supports mask mandate; 228K US deaths - USA TODAY
- Coronavirus: U.S. records more than 80,000 new daily cases - CNBC
- 'There's no way to sugarcoat it': COVID-19 cases are surging; one American dies every 107 seconds - USA TODAY
| Posted: 30 Oct 2020 05:56 AM PDT CLOSE  We answer the often searched question: "What are the symptoms of coronavirus versus the flu?" USA TODAY For the first time, the United States added cases faster than one every second on Thursday, Johns Hopkins data shows. The United States reported 88,521 new coronavirus cases, a record for one day. That equaled a new coronavirus case every 0.976 seconds. With Thursday's data, the United States also set a record for new cases in a week, at 536,131. The second-highest record was set in the week ending Wednesday. The third, Tuesday. The fourth, Monday. The fifth highest record, Sunday. The sixth-highest record was set in the week ending July 22. The surge is nationwide: 47 states had more cases in the latest week than in the week before, an analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. An analysis of COVID Tracking Project data shows 41 states had a higher rate of people testing positive than the week before, too. Across the world, Japan topped 100,000 infections, with nearly one-third coming from Tokyo, and India reported declining numbers a day after surpassing 8 million cases, second only to the U.S. Cases are surging in Europe as well, leading to new restrictions. 📈 Today's numbers: The U.S. has reported more than 8.9 million cases and more than 228,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The global totals: 45 million cases and 1.18 million deaths. 🗺️ Mapping coronavirus: Track the U.S. outbreak in your state. This file will be updated throughout the day. For updates in your inbox, subscribe to The Daily Briefingnewsletter. Study: 20% of grocery store workers had COVID-19A study published Thursday found that grocery store workers had a heightened risk of COVID-19 infection, with one in five workers surveyed testing positive and most having asymptotic cases. Workers who were in roles that involved interacting with customers were five times as likely to test positive, the study, published in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine, found. Three in four who did test positive had no symptoms. "This is definitely very alarming as it means that retail grocery store employees are exposed to customers and sort of serve as a middleman for the virus - like a super spreader almost," researcher Dr. Justin Yang told CNN. Europe's outbreak: 10 million cases; Spain state of emergency until MayEuropean nations have accounted for more than 10 million cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic and broke a weekly record with more than 1.5 million confirmed last week, the World Health Organization's Europe director said Thursday. "Europe is at the epicenter of this pandemic once again," WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said. "At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern." The Spanish parliament voted to keep a state of emergency intact until May 2021. France says its citizens will be confined to half a mile from their homes for the next month, unless they're buying food or going to school or a few other exceptions. Pope Francis is halting his public general audiences and will limit participation at Christmas. CLOSE Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. USA TODAY Fauci supports national mask mandate Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said earlier this week the United States needs a national mask mandate and also expressed worry that the country is "not in a good place" with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. Fauci made the comment about masks on Wednesday when speaking with CNBC host Shephard Smith, who asked if it was "time" and if a national mandate was needed. "We do," Fauci said. "I would hope the mayors and the governors do it locally if it's not done nationally." Fauci also said this week that the U.S. isn't well positioned as COVID-19 cases continue to rise and more cases are expected during the winter and holiday season. "We're not in a good place," he said in an interview Wednesday with JAMA Editor in Chief Dr. Howard Bauchner. "The thing that had disturbed me so much is that we never got down to a low baseline after we had a big initial surge." CDC: Boy with COVID-19 likely led to 116 cases at Wisconsin summer campOne boy who arrived at a southeastern Wisconsin summer camp unknowingly infected with COVID-19 likely spread the virus to 116 people, a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows. Between July 2 and Aug. 11, one infected camper who had tested negative before arriving led to COVID-19 diagnoses for nearly 80% of the camp's attendees, according to the report that was released Thursday. On July 28, state health officials tested nearly all attendees at a faith-based camp for boys after a small group of children who were in close contact with the boy became sick or tested positive. At least one confirmed case was found in every dormitory room and yurt over the course of the outbreak, the report said. All illnesses were mild to moderate, and no hospitalizations or deaths occurred, the CDC said. – Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel CLOSE Here are 4 tips on how to get your kids to wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic. USA TODAY Los Angeles County reports highest daily case count since late AugustLos Angeles County is seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases, with health officials reporting 19 new deaths and 1,745 new cases on Thursday, the highest number of daily cases since late August. "The high numbers of daily cases are very concerning because, as we have seen in the past, increases in cases lead to increases in hospitalizations and deaths," L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said in a statement. "These increases impede our ability to move forward with re-opening additional sectors and getting more children back to school." The news comes three days after the county reached two grim milestones: 7,000 confirmed deaths and 300,000 infections. The health agency on Monday said it is "highly likely" that celebrations for the Lakers' NBA Finals win contributed to a spike in cases. IHOP may close nearly 100 restaurants nationwide amid ongoing pandemicIHOP may close up to 100 locations in the U.S. as the pandemic continues to affect indoor dining operations across the country. The pancake house's parent company, Dine Brands Global, made the announcement in its third-quarter earnings report on Thursday. "Given the impact of the pandemic on individual restaurant-level economics, the Company is evaluating the viability of greatly underperforming domestic IHOP restaurants," reads the report. The closures will take place over the next six months. Applebee's, also owned by Dine Brands Global, will close approximately 15 restaurants before the end of the year. – Coral Murphy Clemson Tigers' quarterback Trevor Lawrence tests positive for COVID-19Trevor Lawrence, junior quarterback for the No. 1-ranked Clemson Tigers and front-runner for the Heisman Trophy, will not play in Saturday's game against Boston College after testing positive for COVID-19. "Trevor has authorized us this evening to announce that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in isolation," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said in a news release. "He is doing well with mild symptoms but will not be available for this week's game against Boston College. The Tigers are scheduled to play at Notre Dame a week from Saturday. – Steve Gardner El Paso, Texas, orders 2-week shutdown amid COVID-19 surgeA judge in El Paso County, Texas, ordered a two-week shutdown of nonessential services starting at midnight Friday amid growing hospitalizations in the COVID-19 crisis. Voting continues and polls will remain open for the upcoming election since voting is an essential service, County Judge Ricardo Samaniego announced Thursday. Hospitals are at capacity, medical workers are overwhelmed and the shutdown is needed as the virus spreads, the judge stated. "There seems to be a shadow placed upon us because of the numbers the way they are," Samaniego said, adding that new infections kept going up in recent days. El Paso continued to hit unprecedented levels in the outbreak with record numbers of active cases, patients in the hospital, intensive care and a soaring positivity rate. Public health officials reported Thursday morning a record 14,359 known active cases, 934 people hospitalized, 245 in ICU, and a 17.24% rolling seven-day average positivity rate. – Daniel Borunda and Vic Kolenc, El Paso Times COVID-19 resources from USA TODAYContributing: The Associated Press Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/10/30/covid-news-us-9-m-cases-ihop-los-angeles-wisconsin/6077964002/  |
| Coronavirus: U.S. records more than 80,000 new daily cases - CNBC Posted: 29 Oct 2020 05:32 AM PDT  U.S. reports more than 80,000 new coronavirus cases on WednesdayThe U.S. reported another 80,662 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, according to a tally kept by NBC. The U.S. also reported an additional 996 deaths in the last day. NBC said the number of new cases surpassed the previous high of 79,303, set last Friday. However, the NBC figure still falls short of a separate daily total reported by Johns Hopkins University on Saturday. — Yen Nee Lee Mexico's coronavirus death toll crosses 90,000Mexico reported an additional 495 deaths from Covid-19 over the last day, taking its death toll to 90,309, according to Reuters, which cited data from the health ministry. The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Mexico is the fourth largest globally, behind the U.S., Brazil and India, showed data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The Mexican health ministry also confirmed another 5,595 cases, taking the country's official cumulative infections to 906,863, reported Reuters. — Yen Nee Lee Gilead's revenue rises 17% driven by sales of Covid treatment remdesivirGilead Sciences reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter earnings with revenue rising 17% from a year earlier, driven by sales of coronavirus treatment remdesivir. Gilead's antiviral drug remdesivir, under the brand name Veklury, generated $873 million in sales during the third quarter, mostly in the U.S., the company said. Gilead said in August that it planned to produce more than 2 million treatment courses of remdesivir by the end of the year and anticipated being able to make "several million more" in 2021. "We're... now in position to meet global demand because of the work we've done since January to ramp up our supply," CEO Daniel O'Day said during an investor call on Wednesday. —Noah Higgins-Dunn Boeing warns pandemic will pressure defense spending, tooBoeing's defense unit has been relatively stable as the company struggles with two major crises: the 737 Max and now the coronavirus pandemic. But even that could be under pressure in the coming months, Boeing's CEO warned. "We're not planning on defense spending to go up in any appreciable way," CEO Dave Calhoun said on an earnings call Wednesday. "In fact, we believe there will be pressure on defense spending as a result of all the COVID-related spending that's been — that governments around the world have been experiencing. So I don't think we're looking at that world through rose-colored glasses. I expect real pressure on that market." Boeing's third-quarter revenue dropped 29%from a year earlier to $14.1 billion. Defense-unit revenue dropped just 2% to $6.8 billion, compared with the 56% decline in its commercial airplane business to $3.6 billion. Boeing's shares ended the day 4.6% --Leslie Josephs Germany to impose new restrictions on businessesGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel said the country will implement a four-week shutdown of restaurants, bars, cinemas, theaters and some other such facilities beginning Nov. 2 to try to stopgap the coronavirus' spread. The number of Covid-19 patients in intensive care across the country has doubled over the past 10 days, Merkle said. She added that Germany's hospitals will hit capacity in the coming weeks if that pace continues. Shops, schools and day cares will remain open, she said, but will face new restrictions on capacity. Restaurants will remain open for takeout, Merkel said. She implored citizens to avoid unnecessary travel. — Noah Higgins-Dunn, Will Feuer French President Emmanuel Macron imposes new nationwide lockdown as coronavirus cases surgeFrench President Emmanuel Macron is seen on screens as he addresses the nation about the state of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in France in this illustration picture, October 28, 2020. Christian Hartmann | Reuters French President Emmanuel Macron imposed a new nationwide lockdown as coronavirus cases surged in his country. The lockdown will go into effect from Friday. The restrictions will be in place at least until Dec. 1 and are similar to those imposed back in spring. The new restrictions will mean people have to stay in their homes except to go out and buy essential goods, seek medical attention, or exercise. People will be allowed to go to work if their employer deems it impossible for them to do the job from home, and - in a departure from the previous lockdown in March - most schools will remain open. "The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated," Macron said. "Like all our neighbours, we are submerged by the sudden acceleration of the virus." — Riya Bhattacharjee, Reuters. Dr. Anthony Fauci to appear on The News with Shepard Smith tonightWhite House coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci is scheduled to join The News with Shepard Smith at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday to discuss the latest spike in coronavirus cases across the U.S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, has recently come under scrutiny from President Donald Trump, who continues to undermine the severity of Covid-19. Trump has blamed the latest spike in coronavirus cases on more testing, despite top administration officials saying otherwise. — Noah Higgins-Dunn Boston Marathon postponed to at least fall of 2021Runners cross the finish line on Boylston Street during the 123rd Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts on April 15, 2019. Christopher Evans | Boston Herald via Getty Images The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced that the 125th Boston Marathon will be postponed until at least the end of 2021. "With fewer than six months until Patriots' Day and with road races prohibited until Phase 4 of the Massachusetts reopening plan, we are unable to host the Boston Marathon this coming April," said B.A.A. CEO Tom Grilk. "By shifting our focus to a fall date, we can continue to work with stakeholders to adjust the in-person experience for runners and supporters alike. Prioritizing the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and community members, we continue to assess all elements of the race including a potential reduced field size or weekend date." A date for 2021 has not yet been selected. —Riya Bhattacharjee Italy posts record number of daily new casesItaly reported 24,991 new cases of Covid-19 within 24 hours with a notable rise in cases from the Lombardy region, Reuters reported, citing the country's health ministry. The country reported 205 deaths during that 24 hours, which was down from the day before. The Lombardy area, which includes Milan, reported 7,558 new cases of the coronavirus and is the hardest-hit region in the country, according to Reuters. —Chris Eudaily Student loan break stops at the end of the year, will it be extended?Even while unemployment rates remain high and coronavirus cases continue to surge across the U.S., student loan borrowers could find their monthly bills due again in two months. In March, the U.S. Department of Education announced that borrowers could pause their payments without interest accruing until September. Then, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that extended the reprieve through the end of the year. There's some hope the reprieve will be extended, but if it's not, experts say to expect default rates to jump. –Annie Nova U.S. is at a 'critical point,' assistant secretary of health saysU.S. Department of Health and Human Services ADM Brett P. Giroir testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on the Trump Administration's Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, June 23, 2020. Kevin Dietsch | Pool via Reuters Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of health who leads the government's testing effort, acknowledged that the recent surge in Covid cases cannot be attributed to increased testing alone, disputing claims made by President Donald Trump. "As the nation did after Memorial Day, we are at another critical point in the pandemic response," Giroir said on NBC's "TODAY" show. "Cases are going up in most states across the country. Hospitalizations are up, although we're still tens of thousands of hospitalizations below where we were in July, but that is rising. And we are starting to see the increase in deaths." Giroir went on to emphasize that "we can control the virus" by following public health measures like social distancing, mask-wearing, avoiding crowded gatherings and the frequent washing of hands. —Will Feuer Sanofi, GSK to provide 200 million vaccine doses to WHO programEuropean drugmakers Sanofi and GlaxoSmithKline will provide 200 million doses of their Covid-19 vaccine to the World Health Organization's global immunization partnership COVAX, which seeks to ensure coronavirus vaccines are distributed equitably across the world, the companies said. Global health organizations including the GAVI vaccine alliance, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and the WHO are leading the COVAX effort, which is focused on first vaccinating the most high-risk people in every country. The initiative aims to deliver 2 billion doses of the vaccine by the end of 2021, though it's now competing for scarce doses of promising vaccines with some wealthy countries like the United States which didn't join the COVAX facility and procured hundreds of millions of doses on their own. "Since we started working on the development of Covid-19 vaccines, GSK has pledged to make them available to people around the world," Roger Connor, president of GSK Vaccines, said in a statement. He added that "this has the potential to be a significant contribution to the global fight against Covid-19." —Will Feuer Panera Bread adds pizza to menus as customers order more delivery and takeoutPanera Bread's new Margherita Flatbread Pizza Panera Bread Panera Bread is adding pizza to its menus as the pandemic leads more customers to order carryout and delivery for safety reasons, CNBC's Amelia Lucas reports. Among the restaurant's new flatbread pizza offerings are chipotle chicken and bacon, margherita, and cheese pizzas. The pizzas are big enough to be shared and are made to travel well, no matter how long delivery takes. Panera's made moves to slim down its menu earlier this year, which led to introducing flatbread pizza. Like McDonald's and Taco Bell, Panera reduced its menu items ease the workload for its staff, who were also dealing with social-distancing measures. —Terri Cullen UPS earnings top expectations as pandemic spurs home deliveriesUnited Parcel Service earnings topped analysts' expectations, boosted by a surge in home deliveries amid the pandemic, Reuters reports. The company reported average daily volumes in the U.S. jumped 13.8% on persistent strength in residential demand for deliveries, according to the wire service. Last month, UPS said it would hire more than 100,000 workers for the holiday shopping season, which retailers have been stretching out to try to avoid overwhelming UPS, which is already taxed by pandemic-fueled online shopping, Reuters said. —Terri Cullen Gottlieb says Covid trajectory in the U.S. looks 'a lot like Europe'The latest surge of the coronavirus in the U.S. is three or four weeks behind the uptick Europe is experiencing, Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC. The former Food and Drug Administration chief stressed, however, that "we're on a trajectory to look a lot like Europe as we enter the month of November, so I think things are going to get worse." Gottlieb said on "Squawk Box" he believes that although the U.S. outbreak is more diffuse than Europe's, "we're at the beginning of that steep part of the epidemic curve right now." He added, "I wouldn't be surprised if we challenge 100,000 diagnosed cases [per day] this week. We'll certainly get above 90,000 towards the end of the week if all the states report." —Kevin Stankiewicz Disclosure: Dr. Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic-testing start-up Tempus and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean's Healthy Sail Panel. Boeing to cut thousands more jobs, citing reduced demand for air travelA Boeing 787-10 aircraft being built for Singapore Airlines (front, left) sits in the Final Assembly Area with other aircraft before a delivery ceremony of the first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner at Boeing South Carolina in North Charleston, South Carolina, United States March 25, 2018. Randall Hill | Reuters Boeing will cut thousands of additional jobs through the end of 2021 as the pandemic continues to hit air travel demand, prompting the aerospace giant to cut costs further. The company earlier this year targeted a 10% cut to its staff, which numbered 160,000 at the start of the year. Boeing now aims to get its headcount to 130,000 by the end of next year. The announcement came after the company posted another loss and said it's adjusting to reduced demand for air travel. The company has faced hundreds of cancellations of aircraft orders, mostly for the 737 Max, which has been grounded since March 2019 after two fatal crashes. Boeing's CEO David Calhoun said the company is close to the "finish line" for getting regulators to lift their flight ban on the best-selling aircraft. —Leslie Josephs Surge in online holiday shopping will pack 2 years of growth into one season, Adobe saysAn Amazon worker delivers packages amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Denver, Colorado. Kevin Mohatt | Reuters Two years' worth of e-commerce growth is about to be packed into one holiday season, according to a new forecast, as Americans turn in droves to online shopping to avoid crowded stores and malls during the coronavirus pandemic. Online sales this November and December are forecast to surge 33% year over year to a record $189 billion, Adobe Analytics said, based on web transactions of 80 of the top 100 U.S. internet retailers. The e-commerce gains could go even higher if consumers receive another round of government stimulus checks or if brick-and-mortar stores are forced to shut down again to curb the spread of Covid-19, said Jason Woosley, vice president of commerce product and platform at Adobe. Should those two things occur, Adobe expects consumers could spend an extra $11 billion online, pushing total holiday spending past $200 billion. "It's just incredible," Woosley said. "If you would have asked me last year that we'd be talking about 33% [growth], I would have said you were crazy." —Lauren Thomas Dow opens more than 500 points lower on fears rising cases could slow economic recoveryU.S. stocks opened lower as investors worried that rising coronavirus infections could halt the global economic recovery, reports CNBC's Fred Imbert. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 569 points, or 2.1%. The S&P 500 dipped 1.8% and the Nasdaq Composite traded 1.7% lower. —Melodie Warner Bed Bath & Beyond targets 'stable' sales growth in 2021, lays out 3-year road mapBed Bath & Beyond CEO Mark Tritton Source: Bed Bath & Beyond Ahead of a meeting with investors Wednesday, Bed Bath & Beyond laid out a three-year road map for the company, offering fresh financial targets and the strategies it plans to use to get there. The big-box, home-goods retailer said it expects same-store sales — which track revenue online and at stores open for at least 12 months — to be "stable" in fiscal 2021, and rise in the low-to-mid single digits by 2023. One of Bed Bath & Beyond's biggest initiatives is a plan to launch more than 10 private-label brands over an 18-month period beginning in March, giving stale shelves a makeover. Altogether, Bed Bath & Beyond said it will make $1 billion to $1.5 billion in capital investments over the next three years — to fix what many observers viewed as an out-of-date retailer, with dilapidated stores and little to offer online, before current-CEO Mark Tritton arrived, roughly one year ago. Also Wednesday, Bed Bath & Beyond announced a new share repurchase program totaling up to $675 million over the next three years. A portion of the buyback will be completed through an accelerated share repurchase agreement for $225 million of its common stock. —Lauren Thomas Chewy launches telehealth for dogs, cats as pandemic fuels pet boomChewy's "Connect with a Vet." Source: Chewy Instead of heading to the veterinarian, pet owners can turn to a new option for advice about a sick dog or cat: Telehealth for pets. Chewy is launching a new service that allows pets to have a virtual visit with a licensed vet. The service, "Connect-with-a-Vet," is free for customers who are part of Autoship, the company's subscription program that automatically ships deliveries of food or other pet goods. It's available through the company's website in 35 states on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Chewy CEO Sumit Singh said the company was interested in telehealth, but sped up the new offering because of the pandemic. He said there's a greater need as more Americans adopt and foster pets during their long stays at home and vet clinics limit their hours. "It was one of the irons in the fire, but clearly, the pandemic has accelerated our effort," he said. He said the company plans to add video to the service, expand it across the country and serve pets beyond cats and dogs. It may also add more hours, depending on demand. —Melissa Repko U.S. agrees to pay Eli Lilly $375 million in antibody drug dealThe Eli Lilly logo is shown on one of the company's offices in San Diego, California, September 17, 2020. Mike Blake | Reuters The U.S. government has agreed to pay Eli Lilly $375 million to supply 300,00 vials of its experimental antibody drug to treat Covid-19, the company announced. The agreement is for delivery over the two months following an emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration. The deal also provides the option for the U.S. to purchase 650,000 more vials through June 30. Eli Lilly's drug is part of a class of treatments known as monoclonal antibodies, which are made to act as immune cells that scientists hope can fight the virus. In October, the company submitted a request to the FDA for emergency authorization of its drug for people with mild to moderate Covid-19. —Berkeley Lovelace Jr. Gottlieb says U.S. outbreak 'on the trajectory to look a lot like Europe'Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNBC's "Squawk Box" the U.S. is "on the trajectory to look a lot like Europe as we enter the month of November." —Melodie Warner Disclosure: Dr. Scott Gottlieb is a CNBC contributor and is a member of the boards of Pfizer, genetic-testing start-up Tempus and biotech company Illumina. He also serves as co-chair of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings′ and Royal Caribbean's Healthy Sail Panel. Three U.S. states set record average daily high of Covid deathsWisconsin on Tuesday reported a record high of 31 daily deaths, on a seven-day-average, a 75% increase from the prior week, according to a CNBC analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. The number of average daily deaths in Tennessee rose about 65% to 36 and Nebraska saw a week-over-week increase of 45% to eight deaths, on average, new highs for both states. Fifteen states hit record-high average current hospitalizations Tuesday. Wyoming's average hospitalizations rose 61% from last week, New Mexico saw a 51% increase and North Dakota's week-over-week growth was 27%. This data provided by JHU is collected from dozens of state and local agencies that have varying reporting methodologies and levels of accuracy. Comparisons of the seven-day average help to smooth out inconsistencies in state reporting procedures. —Melodie Warner Read CNBC's previous coronavirus live coverage here: |
| Posted: 28 Oct 2020 04:20 PM PDT CLOSE Without masks and a vaccine, we could reach Herd Immunity from COVID-19, but deaths would skyrocket. We break down the science of it. USA TODAY The U.S. set a record this week for new coronavirus cases over a seven-day period with more than 500,000 infections. An American is testing positive every 1.2 seconds. Daily deaths are also climbing – one of us is dying every 107 seconds, according to Johns Hopkins data. And daily hospitalizations have been rising steadily for more than a month, from 28,608 on Sept. 20 to more than 44,000 on Tuesday. "There's no way to sugarcoat it: We are facing an urgent crisis, and there is an imminent risk to you, your family members, your friends, your neighbors and the people you care about," said Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, whose state is seeing one of the nation's worst outbreaks. As winter approaches, America is facing a crucial fork in the road, said Melissa Nolan, an infectious disease expert and professor at the University of South Carolina. "We might see a larger surge due to the pandemic fatigue Americans are experiencing," Nolan told USA TODAY. "Americans are tired of adhering to public health guidelines and getting tested." She repeated the familiar plea of public health experts: Masks. Social distancing. Hand washing. Risk mitigation strategies until a vaccine is developed. While the White House's science policy office ranked "ending the Covid-19 pandemic" among President Donald Trump's top achievements, the world isn't buying in. Stock markets around the globe fell sharply Wednesday amid investor fears that global lockdowns are once again on the horizon. "We're well behind this virus," Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's emergencies program, said this week. "We will have to get ahead of this virus, and that may require sacrifice for many, many people in terms of their personal lives." CLOSE Infecting young, healthy people with COVID-19 is an important, but controversial, part of creating a viable vaccine. Wochit Some suggest a national lockdown might allow a "reset" for states more severely affected to reduce their spiraling numbers, but that is unlikely to happen given the political climate, most experts agree. "A national mandate from the federal government for universal masking is more likely to achieve the greatest impact to reduce deaths in the next several months," said Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. That's not very likely either, however. Meanwhile, states like Wisconsin suffer. State officials there are urging residents to stay home and avoid social gatherings – despite a series of legal challenges that have frustrated efforts by Evers to order restrictions. "It's a nightmare scenario, frankly, that this could get quite a bit worse in the next several weeks or months before it gets better," said Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Experts say at least one vaccine candidate could win FDA approval by year's end. But that could just be the beginning of questions related to vaccinating a nation of more than 300 million people. And a world of more than 7 billion people. Nolan warns that until it becomes clear what type of vaccine clears FDA guidelines for mass distribution, it won't be clear what problems the nation faces in getting it to the public. For example, some vaccines require refrigeration – and, because this is how the world works in 2020, it turns out we are nearing a national shortage of clinical laboratory refrigerators. We still don't know how well any vaccines actually will work. And even if they do work, Americans must be convinced it is safe and effective before they line up to get the shot. Vaccine update: Experts say securing a COVID-19 vaccine in record time could be easy, but distributing it won't be Senior FDA career executives: We're following the science to protect public health in pandemic Once the vaccine is available, "uptake issues" must be overcome, said Ogbonnaya Omenka, an associate professor and public health specialist at Butler University. Will the vaccine be mandatory or optional? And if mandatory, how will it be enforced "in view of the clash between individual liberty and public health?" Also, there are questions of prioritization: figuring out who should get the vaccine first because there won't be enough to go around for some time. Young, healthy people would seem to be last in line, but what effect will that have on in-classroom learning for students? There is also evidence that vaccine hesitancy may be higher in minority communities, the communities that have been hit the hardest by the pandemic, said Dr. Anuj Mehta, a pulmonary and critical care physician at National Jewish Health in Denver. "Convincing people that a vaccine is a safe and effective will be a critical part of widespread dissemination," Mehta said. On vaccines: Why people of color are vital to getting a successful COVID-19 vaccine Deadly discrimination: America's history of racism was a preexisting condition for COVID-19 Trump, who recovered from COVID-19 earlier this month, continues to downplay the latest wave of infections. "We're rounding the turn," the president said at recent campaign stop. "We're doing great. Our numbers are incredible." Trump points to daily death totals, which, while rising, have not reached numbers seen in April, when thousands of Americans died each day. Glatter said deaths have not reached those numbers during this surge because of increased testing, more judicious use of intubation and noninvasive forms of ventilation, and use of steroids and the medication remdesivir when indicated. CLOSE Executive Director of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme Dr. Michael J. Ryan explains why letting COVID-19 "run its course" is not the answer. USA TODAY Handout The world is also struggling. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said Wednesday that he has gone into quarantine. India is second only to the U.S. in reported infections, nearing the 8 million mark. In Europe, several nations are weighing tougher restrictions. European Union officials on Wednesday urged the bloc's 27 nations to introduce common rules to test for the disease and track its spread to help prevent further damage to their virus-battered economies. "We are seeing a large number of cases, we are seeing widespread disease" in Europe, Ryan said. "We are seeing very, very high positivity rates and an increasing lack of capacity to do any effective form of contact tracing." He said stay-at-home orders may be needed in some countries to take the "heat out of this phase of the pandemic." When will it all end? There are so many variables, it's not easy to say. Glatter said it will take three years. Nolan went out on a limb: "Next spring," she said. Contributing: Mike Stucka, USA TODAY; Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 'Mind-bogglingly complex': Here's what we know about how COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed when it's approved Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/10/28/covid-cases-us-sees-surge-americans-tire-pandemic/6052710002/  |
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