One Day, 3,600 Lost: US Reports New Death And Hospitalization Records
The coronavirus outbreak spreads with little abatement across the nation as new cases continue to surge and hospitals are overwhelmed with severely ill patients.
NPR:
With 3,600 Deaths, U.S. Reaches A New Daily Record For COVID Deaths
The U.S. on Wednesday reported the highest number of new cases of the coronavirus and the most COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began.As of 1:30 a.m. Thursday, more than 3,600 Americans died Wednesday from complications of the coronavirus, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking coronavirus infection data. Data from the COVID Tracking Project revealed more than 230,000 new coronavirus infections and showed 113,090 Americans were hospitalized with the virus — a number that's been on the rise since Dec. 6. (Diaz, 12/17)
CNN:
Nation Sets Covid-19 Case, Hospitalization And Death Records Ahead Of Key Meeting For Moderna's Vaccine Candidate
The US on Wednesday reported record numbers for Covid-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths, ahead of a key meeting for what could be the country's second Covid-19 vaccine to get the green light. Vaccine advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will meet Thursday to discuss Moderna's vaccine and officials expect a speedy emergency use authorization process -- even faster than last week's for the Pfizer vaccine. (Maxouris, 12/17)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Are COVID Cases Spiking Across All Age Groups In California?
California’s current coronavirus surge appears to be sparing no one demographic. Recent data compiled by George Lemp, an infectious disease epidemiologist and retired director of the California HIV/AIDS research program at the University of California, show that cases have risen meteorically among every age group in the state. New COVID-19 cases increased 350% overall in the period from Nov. 15 to Dec. 12, compared to the previous four weeks. Each age group saw increases well over 300%, and the highest was 360% among individuals 80 years and older. While not significantly higher than the other age groups, the primary concern is older individuals are at higher risk for severe illness with COVID-19. (Hwang, 12/16)
The Washington Post:
Many Hospitals Are Overwhelmed With Record Covid Cases
In Boston, pediatric wards are being consolidated to fit all the adults battling covid-19. Philadelphia hospitals are once again barring family visitors due to transmission worries. And in Los Angeles, a public hospital canceled elective and scheduled surgeries because it cannot spare ICU beds. Mounting hospitalizations in these and other states are pushing some hospital systems to near breaking points, with many scrambling to reconfigure themselves to handle a crush of patients streaming in after holiday gatherings and the arrival of flu season. (Shammas, Eunjung Cha, Guarino and Dupree, 12/16)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
State Health Secretary Says Full Hospitals May Have Prompted Some Residents To Change Behavior, Leading To Decline In COVID-19 Cases
Reports of full and overwhelmed hospitals in October and early November may have concerned Wisconsin residents and prompted some to change their behavior, contributing to the decline in COVID-19 cases the state has seen over the last month. That's the theory of Andrea Palm, state Department of Health Services secretary-designee. She's hopeful the steady decline in new COVID-19 cases since mid-November will continue if residents keep following safety precautions. (Carson, 12/16)
In related news —
CIDRAP:
COVID 5 Times Deadlier Than Flu For Hospital Patients, Study Finds
Compared with patients with seasonal flu, hospitalized COVID-19 patients face an increased need for ventilation and intensive care, longer hospital stays, more complications, and nearly five times the risk of death, according to a US study published yesterday in BMJ. The study, led by researchers from the VA Saint Louis Health Care System, mined the US Department of Veterans Affairs medical records database to compare the outcomes of 3,641 COVID-19 patients hospitalized from Feb 1 to Jun 17 with those of 12,676 hospitalized with the flu from 2017 to 2019. (Van Beusekom, 12/16)
The Hill:
Fauci Says He Won't Be Seeing His Children For Christmas For First Time Since They Were Born
Top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said this week that he won’t be seeing his three adult daughters for Christmas for the first time since they were born. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told The Washington Post’s Power Up that his family will follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations and avoid gathering for the holiday. (Coleman, 12/16)
