U.S. Coronavirus: As the U.S. approaches 350,000 Covid-19 deaths, one model could project that 115,000 more will die in the next four weeks.

U.S. Coronavirus: As the U.S. approaches 350,000 Covid-19 deaths, one model could project that 115,000 more will die in the next four weeks.

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More people have died in the US than elsewhere: nearly 348,000 Americans since the pandemic began. About 115,000 could die in the next month, according to projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Measurements and Evaluation.

“We are also concerned that we will soon have a really difficult time finding the space and caring for all the sick patients who come in with Covid-19 who really need our help,” said Dr. Nicole Van Groningen of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

And Friday’s gloomy milestone means the country has also recorded by far the most Covid-19 infections. That is twice as much as India, the country with the second highest number of cases, has reported and which has almost tripled Brazil – the third country in a row.

But the worst may not be over yet: experts fear that in the coming weeks – after holiday trips and gatherings – the US may see another increase in cases that could also increase hospitalizations and deaths.

Dr Anthony Fauci told CNN earlier this week that the country had seen a boom that “just got out of control” and that the coming weeks could be even worse.

“Once you reach a large number of people inside at a meal, with poor air ventilation and circulation, that’s when you get in trouble,” he said. “This is what we are worried about – that in addition to the boom, we are going to put an increase on the boom that could make January even worse than December.”

“I think we just have to assume it’s going to get worse,” Fauci added.

How states fare at the start of a new year

In Arkansas, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Friday the state has reported more than 4,300 new cases – a record high, he said, is “in the wake of Christmas travel and gatherings.”

“As we enter this new year, our first decision must be to follow guidelines. We must all do our part,” he wrote on Twitter.

Georgia announced a total of more than 8,700 new Covid-19 cases in the state on Friday – a new high. Maryland reported its second highest number of daily cases on the same day. New York, meanwhile, added nearly 16,500 new businesses – a day after reaching its highest number of days ever.

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“By the beginning of 2021, I urge all New Yorkers to look after their better angels and continue the practices we know, to stop the spread of this virus. Wash your hands, keep social distance and wear a mask, “Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.

Texas health officials have reported record-high Covid-19 hospitalizations across the state for the fifth day in a row, with more than 12,400 patients.

In California, a state fighting a brutal boom of new infections, hospitalizations and deaths, health officials have reported a daily record number: more than 580 people have lost to the virus.

In many parts of the state, ICU capacity is dangerously low. In Southern California and the San Joaquin Valley, no beds are available. One health official said earlier this week that the rise of patients had driven hospitals to the “brink of disaster”.

California Hospitals Emphasize 'Edge of Disaster' Coronavirus Rising

And this is because some hospitals are experiencing infrastructure problems that are preventing them from providing oxygen to patients.

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said design and construction experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are being deployed to the Los Angeles area to “evaluate oxygen delivery systems at six hospitals and upgrade them where necessary.”

According to the office, hospitals in the region treat an “unprecedented” number of Covid-19 patients and ‘the internal oxygen delivery systems built into many older hospitals are overburdened by the amount of oxygen needed to treat patients with respiratory problems. originated from Covid-19. ‘

Fauci: US will continue to release vaccines within a few weeks

Meanwhile, Covid-19 vaccinations continue – but at a slower pace than some officials had hoped.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 12.4 million doses of vaccine were distributed nationwide and more than 2.7 million doses were administered.

So far, the vaccines approved in the United States require two doses based on a few weeks. And the country will continue to do so and will not follow the British decision to possibly delay the second dose, Fauci told CNN on Friday.

A new year has the same problems with delayed distribution of vaccines

“I will not vote for it,” Fauci said when asked about the UK’s new dosing regime. “We’re going to keep doing what we do.”

Earlier this week, British officials said that ‘the UK should give priority to giving the first dose of vaccine to those at risk who are most at risk’ and that the second dose could be given up to 12 weeks later.

The UK has adopted the strategy of giving as many people as possible the first dose as soon as possible, saying it offers some protection.

‘The fact is that we want to stick to what science tells us, and the data we have for both [vaccines] indicates that you are giving a premium, followed by a boost in 21 days with Pfizer and 28 days with Moderna. “And at the moment, that’s the way we are going with it, and that’s the decision that’s made, ‘Fauci said.

“We make decisions based on data. We have no data to give a single dose and wait longer than the normal period” to give the second dose, he added.

CNN’s Rebekah Riess, Elizabeth Cohen, Naomi Thomas, Cheri Mossburg and Raja Razek contributed to this report.

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