More than 100,000 new infections have been reported every day since November 3rd. Every day for more than two weeks, hospital climbing set another national record. And hundreds of Americans die from the virus every day, with more than 2,100 deaths recorded on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
The devastating numbers show no signs of slowing down. One expert predicts that daily mortality will only double in days.
“If we look at people who are in the hospital today, they got infected two weeks ago, maybe even more. So it takes about five to seven days for them to become symptoms,” said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a medical professor at George Washington University. . “It usually takes about a week to be sick enough to get to the hospital, so it takes at least two weeks and then usually another week for people to give in to the disease.”
“I expect the daily mortality rate to double over the next 10 days,” he said. – We will see nearly 4,000 deaths a day.
More than 262,100 people have died in the United States since the pandemic began. According to a joint forecast released by the U.S. Center for Disease Prevention and Control on Wednesday, another 60,000 could lose their lives over the next three and a half weeks.
“We’ll see a wave of surge”
Deep in the country in the fall Covid-19 ups and downs, local and state leaders have been making final attempts throughout the week to warn Americans not to opt for traditional Thanksgiving this year, otherwise the situation could get worse.
Phone alerts were sent in Pennsylvania and parts of Georgia urging residents to stay safe during the holiday. New Orleans officials sent a reminder to residents to celebrate in their own households and hold larger holidays on a virtual level. In a final petition against the Kansans, Governor Laura Kelly said following health standards “will be more critical than ever in the coming days.” According to Dr. Jerome Adams, a general surgeon in the United States, this year’s safest Thanksgiving includes only direct members of the household.
Similar warnings have flowed over the past week from officials in almost every state. And experts have warned what could happen in the coming weeks if Americans don’t follow the guidance.
“It’s kind of serious news that all the people who travel and then spend a lot of time inside their destinations have a warm family relationship with large families,” said Dr. William Schaffner, a professor of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University, Wednesday night.
“The virus attends some of those Thanksgiving dinners and spreads, I’m afraid. And then people will come home, some will be ill, spread it to their families and their surroundings,” he added.
“In a week, we’re likely to see a jump in two weeks,” Schaffner said. – We are in a difficult time.
About 4.8 million people have boarded the plane since the CDC warned, and more than 900,000 passed through the country’s airports on Tuesday, the Transportation Safety Directorate said.
Hospital records for 16 consecutive days
The current wave could cripple the many communities that are already struggling to respond to the spreading virus.
In Los Angeles County, where Covid-19 hospitalizations have increased by about 70% in the past two weeks, hospitals may face a lack of both regular hospital and intensive care unit beds in the next two to four weeks.
“What’s thinnest about public and private hospitals in Los Angeles County is the availability of staff,” said Dr. Christina Ghaly, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.
The county will be able to find a flexible location in hospitals, using the pre- and post-surgery space, unused wings, or the emergency department to accommodate patients, but finding trained staff will be more difficult.
Meanwhile, the Mayo Clinic is bringing in staff from other states, such as Arizona and Florida, and bringing back certified retirees to cope with increased capacity during the Covid-19 surge in Minnesota, Dr. Andrew Badley, Covid-19 research team at The Mayo Clinic.
“These are really distressing times,” Badley told CNN on Wednesday. “Currently, at the Mayo Clinic, about a day ago, we had about 1,400 staff members who had either Covid or Covid limitations.”
Washington state health officials said “the number of skies has skyrocketed” and predicted that if current disease transmission continues at the same rate as earlier this month, daily hospital admissions could double by early December.
“The situation is incredibly urgent and there is still time to reverse the tide before our hospitals are overwhelmed,” Health Minister John Wiesman said. “I know these are difficult and disappointing times for many, and I am very grateful to everyone who has decided to stay home with their immediate household for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving. If put together, each of our actions will reduce your chances. Disseminating COVID-19 cases . ”
CNN’s Pete Muntean, Ben Tinker, Shelby of Erdman and Naomi Thomas contributed to this report.
