90% of Population Remains Susceptible to the Virus
22 States Reporting Uptick in New Infections
Seven States See Daily Infections Rise by 60% or More
President Trump is trying to convince the American people that the worst of this pandemic is behind us — but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that the virus continues to infect tens of thousands of Americans each day, cases surging in 22 states as experts warn that the fall and winter could be catastrophic.
Most of United States Susceptible to Virus as Infections Rise Across the Country
CDC Director Robert Redfield Reiterated That Nearly 300 Million Americans, Or 90 Percent Of The Population, Are Still Susceptible To Being Infected By Coronavirus.
- “Speaking to the Senate Health Committee this week, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield said preliminary results on the first round of a study by the agency show more than 90% of the population is susceptible. That means more than 295 million Americans could still get infected with the virus.” [CNN, 9/24/20]
The Number Of States Reporting An Uptick In New Infections Has Doubled Since September 14.
- “At least 22 states now report a rise in new cases, most of them in the country’s heartland and Midwest. That number is a remarkable difference since last Monday [September 14], when only nine states reported an upward trend in cases. As of early Wednesday morning, seven states reported a decline of new cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.” [CNN, 9/23/20]
Over The Past Week, Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, Utah And Wyoming Have Seen Their Daily Infections Rise By At Least 60 Percent.
- “Seven states — Arizona, Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Texas, Utah and Wyoming — saw their daily infections rise by at least 60% over the past week. Testing was up by almost 22% over the same period. The U.S. is now conducting about 860,000 coronavirus tests per day.” [Axios, 9/24/20]
Twenty-Seven States And Puerto Rico Have Shown An Increase In The Seven-Day Average Of New Infections Since Late August.
- “Twenty-seven states and Puerto Rico have shown an increase in the seven-day average of new confirmed cases since the final week of August, according to The Post’s analysis of public health data. Minnesota, Montana, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Utah set record highs Monday for seven-day averages.” [Washington Post, 9/22/20]
579 Counties In The United States Are Showing A Reproductive Number Of More Than 1 — An Indication Of Exponential Viral Spread.
- “Disease trackers are closely watching the virus’s reproductive number — the number of people infected, on average, by each infected person. When that number goes over 1, exponential viral spread results. Columbia University epidemiologist Jeffrey Shaman said Monday that his team’s coronavirus model showed that 579 counties in the United States, many of them in the Midwest and Mississippi River valley, had a reproductive number over 1 as of Sunday.” [Washington Post, 9/22/20]
Expert Foretell of Apocalyptic Fall and Winter as Trends Move in Wrong Direction
Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean Of The National School Of Tropical Medicine At Baylor College Of Medicine: “We May Be In For A Very Apocalyptic Fall.”
- “‘We may be in for a very apocalyptic fall, I’m sorry to say,’ said Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. ‘And it’s happening because we’re forcing schools to reopen in areas of high transmission. We’re forcing colleges to reopen, and we don’t have the leadership nationally, telling people to wear masks and to social distance and do all the things we need to do.’” [CNN, 9/21/20]
Michael T. Osterholm, University Of Minnesota Epidemiologist: “We’re Just In The Beginning Of What’s Going To Be A Marked Increase.”
- “Michael T. Osterholm, a University of Minnesota epidemiologist, said: ‘I think we’re just in the beginning of what’s going to be a marked increase in cases in the fall. And it won’t be just a testing artifact, either. This is real.’” [Washington Post, 9/22/20]
Joshua Michaud, Infectious Disease Epidemiologist And Associate Director For Global Health Policy At The Kaiser Family Foundation: “It’s Incredibly High Levels Of Transmission, Which Puts Us In A Very Difficult Situation Going Into The Winter.”
- “‘It’s incredibly high levels of transmission, which puts us in a very difficult situation going into the winter,’ said Joshua Michaud, an infectious disease epidemiologist and associate director for global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. ‘That’s because if we haven’t been able to reduce transmission to much lower levels than we have right now, it provides the seeds for further transmission as winter sets in.’” [The Hill, 9/24/20]
Jeanne Marrazzo, Director Of The Division Of Infectious Diseases At The University Of Alabama At Birmingham: “The Numbers Are The Numbers… And They Are Not Going In The Right Direction”
- “‘I think [378,000 deaths by Jan. 1 is] not at all unfathomable given the progression of this pandemic,’ said Jeanne Marrazzo, director of the division of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, noting that the U.S. is closing in on 7 million confirmed cases of COVID-19. ‘The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you’re on politically. The numbers are the numbers, you can’t argue with them, and they are not going in the right direction. That’s really the bottom line,’ she said.” [The Hill, 9/24/20]