Coronavirus Has Now Killed 100,000 Americans
by Carlie PorterfieldTOPLINE
The U.S. counted its 100,000th Covid-19 death on Wednesday, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally, as the pandemic and the nation’s response becomes increasingly politicized while states continue to gradually reopen.
KEY FACTS
Covid-19 has killed more Americans than both the Vietnam and Korean wars, and the death toll is approaching the roughly 116,000 Americans slain in World War I.
New York City is still the global center of the pandemic, with about 16,000 confirmed deaths and nearly 200,000 cases in the five boroughs alone.
President Donald Trump and his administration have questioned the official death toll and even suggested the numbers are inflated, with Trump telling reporters Friday that the true number may be lower than the official count.
However, Trump’s viewpoint is disputed by the majority of public health experts and statisticians, who say the true death toll of Covid-19 in the U.S. is probably far higher than the official statistics show.
All 50 states have begun to gradually roll back their Covid-19 crackdowns, to varying degrees—while some governors have played it safe, others are reopening their states faster than recommended by the White House’s official guidelines.
KEY BACKGROUND
The pandemic has been increasingly politicized in recent weeks, as Democrats and Republicans grapple with how quickly to reopen business and what kind of safety restrictions should be enacted. A poll released Thursday found that almost one in five Republicans surveyed said they have no interest in a potential Covid-19 vaccine, more than twice as much as Democrats who reported those views. Democrats are largely more supportive of face mask mandates and similar measures, while some Republicans have pushed back and said the government has no place to require citizens to wear face masks. The latest battleground has been America’s churches, with Trump demanding Friday that states allow places of worship to reopen, despite reports of new viral clusters linked to church services. He even threatened to order them open himself if governors wouldn’t, despite not having the authority to do so under federal law.
WHAT TO WATCH
While the daily number of new Covid-19 cases and deaths in the U.S. has sloped downward in recent weeks, experts say a second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is likely, possibly in autumn. The second wave would probably be even worse than the first, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield said last month. If it hits in autumn, it would coincide with the annual flu season and put even more pressure on the already-strained U.S. healthcare system.
FURTHER READING
More Than 100,000 Americans Have Died From the Coronavirus (New York Times)