The coronavirus death toll in the US now counts over a 100,000 in less than four months
The US has seen more fatalities than any other country, while its 1.69 million confirmed infections account for about 30% of the worldwide total. The first infection of Corona was reported in Washington state on 21 January. There have been 5.6 million people recorded as infected and 354,983 deaths worldwide since the virus infection started in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.
According to the John Hopkins University in Maryland, the US death toll stands at 100,276. According to some, it is almost the same number as that of American servicemen and women killed in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan over 44 years of fighting. However, on a per capita basis, the US ranks ninth in its mortality rate behind the likes of Belgium, the United Kingdom, France and Ireland, according to the university .
According to a Reuters study, twenty states recorded a rise in new cases during the week. North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arkansas are among those seeing a steady rise in cases. The caseload remains relentlessly high in a number of metropolitan areas, including Chicago, Los Angeles and suburban Washington DC. Some hard-hit states, such as New York, where 21,000 residents died, are seeing a drop in death rates. During the peak of the crisis in the city, the daily death toll was in the hundreds. Hospitals were overwhelmed and makeshift morgues were created outside health facilities.
President Donald Trump however, has insisted that without the intervention of his administration, the death toll would be 25 times higher, though critics have accused him of a slow response. State governors have also been blamed for failing to recognise early enough the lethal threat that the virus posed to nursing homes. Initially, the president downplayed the pandemic, comparing it to the seasonal flu. Going over his previous comments, he said in February the US had the virus “under control” and that by April it could “miraculously go away”. He went on to predict 50,000-60,000 deaths, then 60,000-70,000 and then “substantially under 100,000”.
President Donald Trump also argued this month that it was “a badge of honour” that the US had the world’s highest number of confirmed infections “because it means our testing is much better”.
A study from the Columbia University in New York suggested that about 36,000 fewer people would have died if the US had acted sooner.
Joe Biden, Mr Trump’s possible Democratic challenger in November’s White House election, issued a message directly to grieving families on Wednesday.
“To those hurting, I’m so sorry for your loss,” the former vice-president said via tweet. “The nation grieves with you.”
With almost 39 million Americans out of work during the pandemic, the US is forging on state by state with reopening the coronavirus-frozen economy, even as the death toll continues to tick upwards. All 50 states in the United States have begun to ease the Covid-19 rules one way or another.
The world’s largest theme park, Walt Disney World in Florida, has laid plans to begin opening on 11 July, if the state governor allows it. Four Las Vegas casinos owned by MGM Resorts are also scheduled to reopen on 4 July. The company says employees will regularly be tested for Covid-19.
Currently, there is no vaccine for Covid-19. There is also no confirmed treatment for the disease, but there are several being tested. An AP-NORC poll conducted this month found just 49% of Americans said they would get a coronavirus vaccine if it is ready.
