Health Workers Use Rapid Antigen Testing Machines for Passengers Who Have Been Tested at San Francisco International Airport Testing Site | Photo AP / Jeff Chiu
The US coronavirus case count topped 8 million on Friday amid signs the disease is spreading at rates not seen since late July as hospital admissions start to rise again
The figure, based on a tracker maintained by Johns Hopkins University, marks the latest milestone in the pandemic and comes just three weeks after the US case count surpassed 7 million The country is responsible for more than 20 % of all infections and deaths worldwide, Covid-19 killing more than 217,000 in the United States
Daily new cases topped 62,000 on Thursday, nearing a peak of 65,000 a day in July A combination of cold weather pushing more indoor activity, a lifting of public health restrictions and the reopening of schools are raising concerns that hospitals in some areas will be inundated with Covid-19 cases just as flu season sets in, putting even more strain on health systems
Meanwhile, prospects for new treatments were mixed this week A closely watched trial coordinated by the World Health Organization found that four antiviral drugs, including Gilead’s widely used remdesivir, did not reduce the risk of death or length of hospital stay due to Covid-19 A clinical trial of one of President Donald Trump’s touted antibody treatments has been suspended due to a potential safety issue And Pfizer’s chief executive on Friday said his company would not seek emergency clearance of his coronavirus vaccine candidate before the end of November, dashing Trump’s hopes of having a vaccine approved before election day
The 8 millionth case also comes as Trump and his allies continue to fight with top infectious disease experts and scientists over the severity of the pandemic and response efforts Trump at a town hall Thursday night on NBC did not approve the wearing of masks, despite consensus among his health experts that it could help fight the disease
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden at another town hall event on Thursday declined to say whether he would make a Covid vaccine mandatory, saying such a requirement would be difficult to implement and that the specifics of an approved vaccine would be
President Donald Trump tested negative for Covid-19 Trump had previously made questionable statements about Covid-19 – a virus that has killed more than 215,000 Americans
Coronavirus, Wisconsin, Tony Evers
World news – AU – US coronavirus cases surpass 8 million
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
