- The coronavirus spreads at unprecedented rates across all corners of the US
- Just like dr. Fauci predicted January is becoming the worst month of the entire pandemic.
- Hawaii is currently the only state where coronavirus cases are still low.
The coronavirus pandemic in the US is getting worse with each passing week. Over the past two weeks, coronavirus infections have increased by 38%, while COVID deaths have increased by almost 50%. And just last Thursday, the daily COVID death rate surpassed for the first time since the pandemic began. The US currently averages 3,249 COVID deaths per day, a figure that is more than twice as high as the US saw in November.
While previous outbreaks of coronavirus have usually occurred in specific geographic regions, the current infection occurs in almost every state in the country. In fact, there is only one condition where cases of coronavirus are still relatively low: Hawaii.
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While COVID cases in Hawaii are increasing by percentage, the cumulative number of new coronavirus infections in the state daily falls somewhere in the 100-200 range. Hawaii’s ability to keep the coronavirus at stake is not very surprising, given the relatively small population of the state and its geographical location.
Meanwhile, COVID cases are high and remain high in almost every other country across the country. The situation is particularly bad in Arizona, where COVID-19 infection and mortality rates have risen by 53% and 118% respectively over the past two weeks.
California is also in the midst of an unprecedented coronavirus boom. On Monday, the cumulative number of coronavirus-related deaths was above 30,000.
The AP reports:
Recently confirmed infections are increasing at a staggering rate of more than a quarter of a million a week, and over the weekend a record 1,163 deaths were reported. Los Angeles County is one of the centers and health officials that tells residents to wear a mask, even when they are at home if they regularly go outside and live with someone older or otherwise at high risk.
“The devastating impact on our families and local hospitals as a result of this boom is the worst disaster our country has experienced in decades,” said Barbara Ferrer, director of health.
Even more worrying is that the death toll in California is not only increasing, but also accelerating. Think about it: the number of COVID-related deaths in California reached 10,000 in August, about six months after the pandemic began. The jump from 20,000 deaths to 30,000 has meanwhile only lasted about a month.
In light of the above, and as we are still a few months away from achieving herd immunity, it is just as important as ever that people follow the CDC’s safety guidelines for the coronavirus:
- Wash your hands regularly.
- Do not touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Stay at least 2 feet away from other people.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently affected objects and surfaces.
- Wear a mask when going in public.
- Masks should not be placed on young children under the age of 2, anyone who is struggling to breathe, or is unconscious, unfit or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
Amid all this discouraging news, it is somewhat encouraging that the introduction of coronavirus vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna is finally starting to pick up steam after an embarrassing start. If the vaccination rate continues to rise, dr. Fauci is confident that life will be back to normal this fall.
Yoni Heisler is a lifelong Mac user and Apple enthusiast and has been writing about Apple and the technology industry for over 6 years. His writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK and most recently in TUAW. If he does not write and analyze the latest events with Apple, he likes to catch Improv programs in Chicago, play football and cultivate new addiction to TV programs, the latest examples of which are The Walking Dead and Broad City .