"Worst Case Scenario Strikes Again"... US Cumulative COVID-19 Cases Reach 26 Million

1 in 13 Americans Infected... Increased Risk of Variant Spread

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Although the spread of new COVID-19 cases in the United States is slowing down, there are concerns that the worst situation could occur again due to difficulties in controlling variant viruses.

On the 30th (local time), Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. reported that the cumulative number of COVID-19 cases in the United States reached 26,012,880, and the cumulative death toll was 438,239. The cumulative number of confirmed cases accounts for 7.9% of the total U.S. population (328.2 million), meaning that one in every 13 Americans has been infected with COVID-19.

The United States has the highest number of COVID-19 infections and deaths worldwide. The number of infections in the U.S. accounts for 25.4% of global confirmed cases (over 103.5 million), and deaths account for 19.8% of the global total (over 2.213 million).

CNN reported that although the third wave of the winter surge, which began in late October last year, was steep, the recent increase in new infections has significantly slowed.

The daily number of confirmed cases, which peaked at 300,282 on the 2nd, dropped to half (166,113) on the 29th. The number of deaths on the 29th was 3,604, still at a record high. The day with the highest daily death toll was the 12th, with 4,466 fatalities.

While U.S. health experts are relieved that the winter surge has eased, they warn that the discovery of various more transmissible COVID-19 variants in the U.S. could lead to the worst situation around March.

Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and a member of President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 advisory panel, said, "The worst COVID-19 situation could occur within the next 6 to 14 weeks," adding that Americans are likely to experience "the darkest days" soon.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.