Coronavirus Update: 200,000+ People Have Died from Coronavirus in the U.S.

Eight months after the first reported case of Covid-19 in the United States, more than 200,000 people have succumbed to the pandemic that has wreaked havoc on the country, leaving almost 7 million infected and struggling with lingering symptoms after recovering.

The U.S. leads the world in coronavirus deaths and confirmed cases in the world. The virus has hit communities of color disproportionately, accounting for the majority of deaths. Those in lower income communities, essential workers and those with pre-existing conditions like obesity, heart problems and diabetes, have suffered more severe Covid-19 infections.

By region, California and New York have been hit hard by the virus as they have struggled over time to control its spread. New York state has reported over 33,000 deaths, while California reached over 15,000.

Health experts worry of another surge in coronavirus infections as schools reopen and flu season begins.

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In an interview with CNN on Tuesday, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci stressed that younger people with underlying conditions, like the elderly, are also at high risk of suffering serious illness when infected with the coronavirus.

He added that “it’s much less serious” in young people but that it’s important to remember that anyone with an underlying condition is at risk.

Fauci’s comments come one day after a rally held in which Trump claimed the virus affects “nobody young.”

A CDC committee is expected to delay a vote about who will receive a coronavirus vaccine first when it becomes available, according to a committee member.

The vote was delayed while the committee studies the issue further, said committee member Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Schaffner said there’s general agreement that frontline health care workers should be the first to receive the vaccine but said it’s unclear “whether the next group should be people who are at high-risk for Covid-19 complications, such as the elderly and those with underlying conditions, or if it should be essential workers.”

Several NFL coaches are being fined for not violating a league mask mandate during week two of the season. The first three fines, $100,000 per coach and $250,000 per club, were charged to Denver’s Vic Fangio, San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan and Seattle’s Pete Carroll. So far, the fines total almost $1,000,000.

More coaches and clubs are expected to receive similar punishments for defiance of the rule.

According to a survey taken by the American Hotel and Lodging Association, 74 percent of hotels say they will have to lay off more employees if they don’t receive additional government funding.

Four out of 10 hotel workers are still unemployed and hotel occupancy for the month of August stood at 48.6%. Half of hotel owners said that due to the pandemic, they are facing foreclosure.

Italian national carrier Alitalia will begin offering “Covid-tested” flights. The airline has announced that it will test flights between Rome and Milan where every passenger must confirm that they have tested negative for the virus. These flights are identified as “Covid-tested.”

Passengers must be tested with 72 hours of flying and bring a negative certificate to the airport or must get a negative result at the airport’s coronavirus testing facility.