U.S. Breaks Daily COVID-19 Infections Record Amid Tumultuous Election
Public health officials confirm new record of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. as they reach an all-time high of over 86,000 per day. These numbers arrive amid one of the most tumultuous Presidential elections in the American history – and both could bring a new series of crisis nationwide.
Whether we talk about positive tests or hospitalizations, every record seems to worsen ahead of the upcoming Holiday season. This is perhaps one of the biggest challenges the future President, which at the writing of this article will likely be Joe Biden, will have to solve over the next months.
A daily (negative) record
For the past two weeks, the daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 have surged a shocking 45%. Johns Hopkins University data confirms that the U.S. surpassed a daily record of 86,352 cases over a 7-day average. The death toll isn’t looking very well either as it spiked up to 15% with an average of 846 deaths reported every day.
So far, the total U.S. death toll already reached 232,000 with more than 9 million confirmed cases of coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. Although these are the most alarming numbers worldwide, there is no sign that they will decrease anytime soon.
This past Wednesday, multiple states have reported an alarming, record-breaking situation. Texas, for instance, had 9,048 new cases and 126 deaths; meanwhile, hospitalized patients in Nebraska, Missouri and Oklahoma sets a new, terrifying record.
What’s worse, a third of the newly confirmed cases in Texas were reported in El Paso, a deeply affected area where hospitals are reportedly at ‘a breaking point.’
Presidential elections may not be beneficial
Regardless of who gets the White House for the next four years, Donald Trump’s term will only end on January 20th, which is 86 days away. If state officials won’t take action to shift the current situation, more than 100,000 Americans could pass away from the virus.
Robert Murphy, executive director of the Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine agrees that America is in a very ‘dire place’ right now. Every data from every expert proves that the country is going in a wrong direction health-wise. Considering the rapidity of transmission, health risks and the overwhelmed medical staff, there is no way the virus will slow down unless someone takes action.
Luckily, Dr. Susan Bailey, president of the American Medical Association, is confident that us, the American population, can be part of the solution. How? By remembering to follow the same protection measures recommended by the CDC ever since the start of the pandemic.
“A lot of us have gotten kind of relaxed about physically distancing, not washing our hands quite as often as we used to, maybe not wearing our masks quite as faithfully. We all need to realize that things are escalating and we’ve got to be more careful than ever.” – Dr. Susan Bailey
Health before all else
A recent nationwide survey organized by AP VoteCast analyzed 133,000 voters and nonvoters conducted for The Associated Press by NORC. Most of the respondents agreed that preventing the virus from spreading should be the number one priority for U.S. officials right now – even more important than protecting the state’s economy.
Since Donald Trump has been focusing considerably more on increasing the economical status of the country rather than imposing COVID-19 recommended restrictions, it is now up to us to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
However, Dr. Cedric Dark, emergency physician in Houston, agrees that we’re going to face many challenges over the next few months.
What about the Holidays?
According to Dr. Dark, the only way we can flatten the curve regarding COVID-19 infections is to resist the urge of spending the Holiday season with our loved ones. For many, this would be the first time they’d spend Thanksgiving, Christmas time and Hannukah on their own – and that is followed by one of the roughest years of our lives.
Dr. Dark hasn’t seen his parents in a year. He is planning to celebrate Thanksgiving in his parent’s garage with an open door and chairs arranged at least 6 feet apart. This is a good scenario considering how many won’t get the chance to see their friends or family at all.
We’re living a very rough, unprecedented time. This year, our country has endured wildfires, a pandemic, a tumultuous Presidential election and there are still two months left before 2021.
It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. It may be part of this new ‘normal’ we’re experiencing.
But you are not alone.
Wellness Captain is dedicated to helping you live a healthier, happier life – and right now our goal is more important than ever. With that in mind, I’m going to leave a couple of useful resources to get you through this difficult time:
- 4 Innovative Apps to Keep Your Loved Ones Close During COVID-19
- Tired of COVID-19? Here’s How to Deal with Pandemic Fatigue
- How to Maintain a Healthy Relationship This Pandemic
