Deadliest Day: US sets grim new record with 3,607 Covid deaths in 24 hours
Pollemix News – December 17, 2020
The US hit an unprecedented and unwanted new record for both daily infections and deaths as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc ahead of the nationwide rollout of the Pfizer vaccine. Daily deaths from Covid only exceeded 3,000 for the first time since the pandemic began last Wednesday but have now crossed that threshold four times in the past week. According to tracking by John Hopkins University, yesterday brought 3,607 deaths and 244,365 new infections with hospitalizations remaining in excess of 100,000 for the 15th day in a row, all worrying signs that the US response to the pandemic is faltering.
Health officials are warning that cases are expected to continue rising as cool winter conditions and increased socialization over the holidays are likely to exacerbate the crisis. Amidst the demoralizing news, however, there is cause for optimism as the distribution of the recently approved Pfizer vaccine has began in earnest. Nevertheless, the rollout will take some time as manufacturers endeavor to provide enough doses to inoculate a broad enough swathe of the US population to achieve ‘herd immunity’. Experts including Dr Anthony Fauci predict for this to occur between 70-90% of the US population would need to be vaccinated, a difficult proposition when only 71% of US adults are currently prepared to take the Coronavirus vaccine.
In response to the public’s mistrust, both the current White House and the incoming Biden administration are scrambling to assure Americans that the vaccines are safe. Vice President Mike Pence announced that he would be receiving the vaccine on Friday in a televised event, with President-elect Joe Biden set to follow suit next week, in the hopes that seeing public officials receiving the Coronavirus shot would lead to increase confidence amongst skeptics and overcome anti-vax sentiments.
Even so, any tangible effect on reducing the spread of the disease will not be felt for at least 6 months and health officials continue to implore people to continue to maintain social distancing and wear masks in public. Warning that failure to do so will lead to thousands more needless casualties if the country is unable to effectively bridge the gap between now and when the vaccine is able to provide widespread community protection.
