As coronavirus cases have hit record highs in the last few days, deaths are also on the rise again. According to data from Johns Hopkins University, average deaths per day across the country are up 10% over the past two weeks while newly confirmed infections per day are rising in 47 states. Deaths are increasing in 34 states.
Health experts who have warned of increasing Covid-related deaths say what the U.S. is experiencing is the result of three factors: “pandemic fatigue” of citizens who are tired of sheltering in place and are going out more; “pandemic anger” among those are don’t believe the virus is a real threat; and colder weather, which is forcing more people indoors, where virus spread is more likely.
MORE ON THE PANDEMIC
As the pandemic continues, less people are going to the hospital for non-coronavirus conditions, according to two recent studies released on Monday.
Researchers from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine found that from March through May, less people went to the hospital for non-coronavirus conditions such as heart attacks, appendicitis and other injuries during the same time in the previous two years.
Researchers say there are several reasons for the drop, including loss of income or insurance and fear of catching Covid-19 in doctor’s offices and emergency rooms.
The U.S. Health and Human Services announced it will ship 36.7 million rapid Covid-19 tests to states by the end of the week. The shipment of BinaxNOW antigen tests is intended to help governors with reopening their states. The Trump administration previously announced it plans to deploy a total of 150 million BinaxNOW Covid-19 tests nationally.
Latest coronavirus infection numbers show Texas is now tied with California for the most Covid-19 cases in the country, increasing at a rate of 19% over the past two weeks. According to a tally on Monday, Texas had reported 910,124 cases since the start of the pandemic while California had 909,161.
El Paso County is experiencing a 160% increase in COVID-19 positivity rates and a 300% jump in hospitalizations, prompting a curfew for residents for the next two weeks.
In a new NBC News poll, the majority of Americans surveyed say they know someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19. Sixty-eight percent of adults say they know someone who has had the coronavirus since December, while 31 percent say they don’t.
While people of color suffer disproportionately from the virus, there were only slight differences across racial groups.
Sixty-nine percent of white adults report that they know someone who has been diagnosed while 67 percent of Black adults and 67 percent of Hispanic adults say they know someone who has contracted the virus.
The owners of the Vegas Strip’s Venetian and Palazzo resorts announced it may sell the hotel-casinos. Las Vegas Sands Corp. last week reported a third-quarter loss of $565 million resulting from the Covid-19 travel fallout. The sale of the properties could be worth $6 billion.
