New study projects up to 500,000 US COVID-19 deaths by February
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Oct 26, 2020
Italian demonstrators have staged Europe's latest public rally against new anti-coronavirus restrictions, as more countries tightened social distancing rules over the weekend to fight surges in infections.
A general view of the hospital at the Mayo Clinic Health System Luther Campus as the coronavirus disease outbreak continues in Eau Claire, Wisconsin October 22, 2020.
Italy unveiled tough new restrictions on Sunday to help curb surging coronavirus cases, while the pandemic has taken centre stage in the USA election campaign as infections there hit record levels.
A record of almost 80,000 new COVID-19 infections over the course of a day were reported in the United States on Friday, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
IHME's Director, Chris Murray, said during a media conference: "We think the key point here is that there's a huge winter surge coming and our models have been showing that for many months".
The United States is the worst-affected country with 224,000 deaths, followed by Brazil, India, Mexico and Britain.
The U.S. also recorded 945 deaths due to COVID-19 Friday. The rising numbers in new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, both in the US and throughout the world, signal the resurgence of a viral pandemic that has already claimed over 220,000 American lives and 1.1 million lives globally. COVID-19 cases across Italy have risen seven-fold since the start of October and the number of deaths is also climbing.
More than a half million lives could be lost to COVID-19 across the United States by the end of February, researchers said Friday.
On a per capita basis, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Montana and Idaho are seeing the most prolific spread of the virus.
The number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have hit a new record high in the midst of new wave of infections, health authorities reported on Saturday.
In Tennessee, hospitals in Nashville said they have experienced a 40 per cent increase in patients admitted for the coronavirus.
Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot announced a curfew on nonessential businesses beginning at 10pm yesterday.
Public health officials have attributed the rise in cases, in part, to cooler weather that is forcing people indoors, reported NBC. Boston public schools shifted to online-only learning this week.
