COVID Deaths Jump Shocking 17%, Says U.S.
Several health experts—including Dr. Anthony Fauci—have warned of a potential twindemic once flu season and the COVID-19 pandemic coincide, predicting things could go from bad to worse this Fall and Winter. However, according to new statistics, we are already in the midst of a downward spiral with our battle against coronavirus with the death toll quickly jumping up.
ABC News obtained an internal memo from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, showing that while the current trend in the number of new infections has decreased slightly, deaths as a result of the virus are steeply heading in the other direction. Read on to hear how bad things are, and to protect your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.
Deaths are up Nearly 17%
According to the report, during the period of September 9-15, an additional 261,204 new cases of COVID-19 were added to the United State's tally, signifying a 0.7% decrease from the previous week. The national positivity rate also decreased slightly to 4.4% — a 0.1% drop from the prior seven-day period.
However, 5,906 coronavirus-related deaths were added during that period — a 16.6% increase compared with the week before.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington recently released a prediction that the country could see 415,090 Covid-19 deaths by January, with a worst case scenario topping 600,000.
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"When we look ahead into the winter with seasonality kicking in, people becoming clearly less vigilant, you know mask use is down, mobility is up in the nation, you put all those together and we look like we're going to have a very deadly December ahead of us in terms of toll of coronavirus," IHME director Dr. Christopher Murray told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
Dr. Fauci Says 'Don't Let Your Guard Down'
During a recent COVID briefing for the state of Vermont, Dr. Fauci, the nation's leading infectious disease expert and key member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force warned that the changing season could be detrimental to the current health crisis.
"Don't let your guard down because if we do, we are gonna see surges that are gonna put us back to where we were months and months ago," he warned. "This becomes particularly important as we enter the colder season of the fall and the winter. Let's everybody keep our guard up and not be complacent." And to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
