Cases Increasing In 39 States
Six States Reporting Record Hospitalizations
Fauci: “If We Don’t Do What We Need to Do… We Could Have 300,000-400,000 Deaths”
Cases are rising in 39 states as the coronavirus crisis intensifies ahead of tonight’s Vice Presidential Debate and as Trump continues to downplay the threat of the virus. Several states are setting records for new infections and hospitalizations, as experts like Dr. Fauci and Dr. Jha warn that things are getting worse.
Experts Highlight Troubling Trends as Cases Continue to Surge
Dr. Anthony Fauci: “The Models Tell Us If We Don’t Do What We Need To In The Fall And Winter, We Could Have 300,000-400,000 COVID-19 Deaths.”
- “Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious diseases expert, said Tuesday that as many as 400,000 Americans could die from COVID-19 if action isn’t taken in the fall and winter. Fauci told attendees of a virtual event held by American University that between 300,000 and 400,000 could die from coronavirus in the country. ‘The models tell us if we don’t do what we need to in the fall and winter, we could have 300,000-400,000 COVID-19 deaths,’ American University quoted the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as saying.” [The Hill, 10/7/20]
Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean Of The Brown University School Of Public Health: “COVID Cases Are Continuing To Rise… But Underlying Data More Concerning.”
- “While [the] nation is distracted with Presidential tweets, FDA rules and CDC guidance… COVID cases are continuing to rise. Today’s numbers are out and they are heading in [the] wrong direction. Averaging close to 45K cases a day. But underlying data more concerning. All data from @COVID19Tracking using 7-day moving averages. White House Task Force designates states as red, yellow, or green based on cases over the past week. Based on their cut-points, 25 states are now in red zone, 25 states + DC in yellow zone, No greens. In red zone, out of 25 states 18 have rising cases over past 2 weeks, 15 have rising test positivity, 13 have test [positivity] > 10% 20 have increasing hospitalizations. So in red zone, states have lots of cases and are getting worse.” [Twitter, @ashishkjha, 10/6/20]
Cases and Hospitalizations on the Rise Across the Country
39 States Reported More Coronavirus Cases In The Last Week Than In The Week Before.
- “U.S. coronavirus cases surpassed 7.5 million on Wednesday with most states seeing a rise in cases and a startling nine of them setting ominous seven-day records for infections… In all, 39 states reported more coronavirus cases in the last week than they had in the week before.” [USA Today, 10/7/20]
On October 4, At Least A Dozen States Reported More Than 1,000 New Cases.
- “At least a dozen states reported more than 1,000 new cases Monday. Four of them — California, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — had more than 2,000 infections. Across the US, only three states report a decline in cases — Hawaii, Iowa and South Carolina.” [CNN, 10/7/20]
On October 6, Nine States Set Seven-Day Records For New Infections.
- “A USA TODAY analysis of Johns Hopkins data through late Tuesday shows Alaska, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Utah and Wyoming all set state records in the seven-day period.” [USA Today, 10/7/20]
On October 6, Six States Reported Record Numbers Of Hospitalizations.
- “Six states reported record numbers of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, including Wisconsin…The spike in reported hospitalizations on Monday hit states in the Midwest the hardest, with Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming reporting their highest figures, according to a Reuters tally. Wisconsin has 782 hospitalized coronavirus patients, compared with 433 two weeks ago.” [Reuters, 10/6/20]
Dr. Ashish Jha, Dean Of The Brown University School Of Public Health: “Hospitalizations Are Up In 38 States.”
- “So here’s the bottom line – Most states with rising case counts – Majority of states with rising test + meaning missing more cases over time – Oh, and hospitalizations are up in 38 states – We as a nation need to return to basics – And control the virus before the winter arrives – Fin.” [Twitter, @ashishkjha, 10/6/20]
States Fear Rising Caseloads as Hospitals Near Capacity
The Number Of Coloradans Hospitalized With COVID-19 Jumped By 68 Percent In The Last Month.
- “The number of Coloradans hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, has jumped 68% in the past month. As of Tuesday, 246 people were in the hospital with confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, up from 146 people a month ago, according to data from the state health department. As of Tuesday, 78% of Colorado’s 1,915 available ICU beds were in use, according to the state health department.” [Loveland Reporter-Herald, 10/6/20]
Iowa Reported The Highest Number Of Hospitalizations Since The Beginning Of The Pandemic.
- “State data shows hospitalizations are spiking in Iowa again. There were 97 patients admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, up from 61 the previous day and the highest total the state has reported. There are 444 people hospitalized with the virus, up from 413 the previous day. That’s also the highest total the state has reported since the pandemic began. There are 104 patients in intensive care, unchanged from the previous day. There are currently 42 patients on ventilators, down from 43 the previous day.” [KCCI, 10/7/20]
Health Care Officials In North Dakota Are Being Forced To Send Patients Across State Lines Amid Surging Cases.
- “As President Trump returned from the hospital, still telling Americans not to be afraid of Covid-19, the coronavirus has exploded in North Dakota. In the past week, North Dakota reported more new cases per capita than any other state. Hospitalizations for the virus have risen abruptly, forcing health care officials in some towns to send people to faraway hospitals, even across state lines to Montana and South Dakota.” [New York Times, 10/7/20]
On October 5, Only 39 Staffed ICU Beds Were Available Across All Of North Dakota.
- “Compared to many states, North Dakota has seen a tiny number of cases. More than 24,000 people have been reported as having the virus, and, as of Tuesday, 284 have died. But North Dakota is one of the least populous states in the country, with 762,000 residents spread across vast stretches, from a handful of cities like Bismarck to farms, oil fields and towns separated by hundreds of miles. So the growing outbreak is testing the hospital systems, health officials said, pushing them near their limits. On Monday, hospitals in Bismarck reported that only six inpatient beds were open and just one intensive care unit bed. Across the entire state, 39 staffed I.C.U. beds were available.” [New York Times, 10/7/20]
A Record Number Of Oklahomans Are Hospitalized With COVID-19.
- “The state’s executive order report that was released Monday night states that 699 Oklahomans are in the hospital fighting COVID-19, marking a record number for the state…One thing to keep in mind is that the state’s hospitalization numbers fluctuate, but even if the latest number doesn’t hold at the record level, the hospitalization number has been elevated for quite a while in Oklahoma.” [KOCO, 10/6/20]
Gov. Tony Evers (D-WI) Has Activated A Field Hospital Amid An Unending Surge Of Cases, As Only 16 Percent Of Wisconsin’s Hospital Beds Were Available.
- “Wisconsin health officials announced Wednesday that they’ve opened a field hospital at the state fairgrounds near Milwaukee as a surge in COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals… Only 16% of the state’s 11,452 hospital beds were available as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the state Department of Health Services. The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had grown to 853, it’s highest during the pandemic according to the COVID Tracking Project, with 216 in intensive care.” [Associated Press, 10/7/20]