TOPLINE
America sped past a somber signpost on Wednesday, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases within the United States surpassed 3 million, according to Johns Hopkins University data.
GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT – MAY 8: A health worker tests Guatemalan immigrant Zully for COVID-19 on May … [+] 8, 2020 in Greenwich, Connecticut. Zully was being retested at the Family Centers Health Care clinic five weeks after being hospitalized for COVID-19 when she was almost 8 months pregnant. Staff at Stamford Hospital put her on a ventilator and performed an emergency C-section to save the child. Her baby, Neysel could not go home, as his father Marvin and brother Junior, 7, were COVID-19 positive and quarantined there. After several weeks in the hospital ICU Zully responded well to antibody blood plasma transfusions and was able to return home. The infant, Neysel, now more than one month old, is in the temporary care of elementary school teacher Luciana Lira. The K-5 Bilingual /ESL instructor, who teaches Junior at Hart Magnet Elementary in Stamford, will continue caring for the baby until his family tests COVID-negative, and they can all be reunited. The Stamford non-for-profit Building One Community (B1C) immigrant resource center is assisting the family during this time. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Getty Images
KEY FACTS
The U.S. reported 60,000 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the most ever reported in the country in a single day.
According to CNN, it took 99 days for 1 million Americans to become infected, 43 days after that the U.S. hit 2 million cases, and just 28 days later, America surpassed 3 million.
Several states in the south and west have been pummeled by recent outbreaks, leading to dangerous spikes that have stretched some hospitals to maximum capacity.
The Florida Department of Health announced 9,989 new cases of Covid-19 in the state on Wednesday (with a record-high positivity rate of 19.54%), along with an additional 48 deaths.
On Tuesday, Texas set record increases in new cases (10,028), hospitalizations (9,286 patients currently hospitalized) and deaths (60).
At least eight states (Louisiana, Idaho, Georgia, Florida, Nevada, Tennessee, Kansas and Delaware) have seen their average daily number of new cases double this month.
Key Background:
As opposed to directly addressing the rise in confirmed cases and subsequent hospitalizations, President Trump has recently chosen to focus on the declining mortality rate associated with the virus. Over the weekend, Trump falsely claimed that “99%” of coronavirus cases are “totally harmless.” On Monday, the president tweeted that “we now have the lowest Fatality (Mortality) Rate in the World.” However, although the U.S. coronavirus mortality rates have declined recently, Trump’s assertion is inaccurate. As of Tuesday, the U.S. had the ninth-worst mortality rate, according to Johns Hopkins University, with 39.82 deaths per 100,000 people. Among the 20 countries with the highest total number of confirmed cases, the US has the second-highest number of coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people, behind only the United Kingdom.
Critical Quote:
“You have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero,” said President Trump on February 26th.
BIG NUMBER:
25%: The United States makes up less than 5% of the world’s population, yet the U.S. accounts for approximately 25% of the world’s confirmed Covid-19 cases and 25% of all coronavirus-related fatalities.
Further Reading:
3 Million Cases: Coronavirus Continues To Surge Across U.S. (NPR)
US coronavirus mortality rate not lowest in world, despite Trump claim: FACT CHECK (ABC News)
