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Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 Stats, Economic, Pandemic Projections

Coronavirus Update: COVID-19 Stats, Economic, Pandemic Projections

Today marks 100 days since the World Health Organization (WHO) reported the first cases of “pneumonia with unknown cause” in China. Today, the Coronavirus pandemic has spread to 203 countries and infected nearly 1.6 million worldwide and led to just under 96,000 deaths.

Read on for a coronavirus update providing statistics on U.S. cases, trends, progress and more.

 10% of U.S. Labor Force Out of Work

10% of the labor force is now out of work since coronavirus hit the economy. 6.6 million people filed for unemployment benefits last week, bringing the total number of jobless claims in the last three weeks to 16.8 million.

43% of Small Businesses Surveyed Could Close for Good Without Help

A survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Metlife found that 43% of small businesses could close for good within six months without prompt economic help to get through the shutdown. 24% of those surveyed already had shut down on a temporary basis. Commercial bankruptcy filings could start increasing as soon as this month, projects the American Bankruptcy Institute.

COVID-19 Leading Cause of Death in U.S.

Coronavirus is now the leading cause of death in the United States on a day-to-day basis. The U.S. leads in number of confirmed cases with triple the number of any other nation, or more than 460,000 COVID-19 cases. Total deaths in the United States reached 16,478 and states reported 1,904 deaths today, on track with the past two days.

  • The United States accounts for 29% of worldwide cases with just 4.2% of the world’s population.
  • At least 759 people under the age of 50, some with no pre-existing medical condition, have died in the U.S.
  • Black communities disproportionately suffer from pre-existing conditions, increasing coronavirus risk.
  • Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has ordered testing of every nursing home worker and resident in the city. As of Wednesday, the city had the largest caseload of coronavirus outside of the East Coast with more than 5,800 cases and 251 deaths.
  • In Boston, black residents account for 40% of infections while just 25% of the population.
  • In Louisiana, African Americans make up 70% of deaths from COVID-19. Underlying medical conditions, poor nutrition, lack of access to healthcare, and increased exposure to pollution are presumed to be contributing factors to the higher rate.
  • In California, Latinos and African Americans make up a disproportionate number of both COVID-19 cases and deaths. Latinos, 39% of the state’s population, account for 30% of cases and 26% of deaths. African Americans, 6% of population, account for 7% of cases and 8% of deaths.
  • According to New York State data, the death toll in New York City is now 5,280 from COVID-19. Governor Andrew Cuomo reported only 200 new hospitalizations due to COVID-19, the lowest number since the crisis started.
  • 83% of all deaths in New York State are individuals age 60 or older and nearly 61% of the deceased patients are male.
  • Ohio, which prepared its healthcare system and intervened in the coronavirus pandemic, including delaying its primary, earlier than most states has a much smaller outbreak than other nearby states.

Model Tracking Coronavirus Pandemic Adjusts Hospitalization Prediction

A model developed at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington School of Medicine projects fewer hospitalizations and fewer deaths due to COVID-19 based on an influx of new data. The model estimates nearly 61,500 deaths in the United State, assuming social distancing is maintained through May 2020. Hospitalizations over the next four months are projected at 86,370. The lower projections are 33,000 fewer deaths and 265,000 fewer hospital beds than reported last week.

Preparing for End of Social Distancing, Possible Second Wave

Experts are warning of a second wave of COVID-19 as social distancing is eventually relaxed and re-tightened as new hotspots are identified, according to a study in the Lancet. The modeling, based on China’s control measures that appear to have suppressed the first wave of the spread of coronavirus, recommends real-time monitoring of COVID-19 transmissibility and severity to protect against a possible second wave of infection. Risk factors include the potential of the virus being reintroduced from abroad, increased economic activity and lessening individual infection control vigilance before a vaccine is developed.

The White House is considering a second Coronavirus Task Force focused on directing the reopening of the nation’s economy.

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