On Wednesday, John Hopkins University reported more than 1,100 COVID-19 deaths, the highest daily toll in more than one month. Numbers are splurging across the United States as cities open up, and kids go back to the classrooms.
The United States has more coronavirus cases than any other country in the world. Over 8 million Americans have been diagnosed with the disease, and at least 222,200 have died.
In a new study from Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness, researchers revealed that between 130,000 and 210,000 deaths could have been prevented. The researchers suggested that the government’s ‘abject failures’ in managing the crisis is to blame.
“The weight of this enormous failure ultimately falls to the leadership at the White House,” researchers said.
Health officials have warned that the colder fall and winter months, melded with the flu season, will make the coronavirus worst.
Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention decided to redefine what close contact means after a correctional officer in Vermont got COVID-19. In the past, close contact meant spending 15 minutes within 6 feet of someone who tested positive for coronavirus. Now, it’s 15 minutes or more.
William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University infectious diseases expert, said that the coronavirus could spread more easily than people realize.
The CDC advises anyone that has been in close contact with someone that has tested positive for COVID-19 to quarantine for two weeks.
Robert Redfield, CDC Director, said that the CDC would continue to incorporate data and information into their recommendations.
