The global pandemic has caused an unfathomable number of deaths in the United States: more than 300,000 Americans have died. In recent weeks, the number of deaths in a single day has been comparable to the most tragic days in national memory. Despite the promise of an FDA-approved vaccine, experts fear the winter will be worse.
These statistics tell the story of a nation struggling under the weight of the pandemic, with the most vulnerable communities suffering the most.
The victims
-
300,267 According to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University, Covid-19 killed Americans.
-
There has been more than 16m confirmed cases in the US.
-
Men die at slightly higher rates: although women account for a slightly higher proportion of confirmed cases of Covid-19, men account for a higher proportion of ICU admissions (61.7%) and deaths ( 54.1%), according to Sex, Gender and Covid. 19 Project.
-
80% of deaths are accounted for by those who are 65 or older, according to the latest CDC data.
Line graphs showing the average of 7 days of deaths and cases of Covid-19 in the US.
Racial inequalities
-
The latest analysis by the APM Research Lab has shown that mortality rates among indigenous people have accelerated more rapidly in the last four weeks. Although the underlying methods and data vary, the finding is supported by a recent CDC report that states that Native Americans experience mortality rates 1.8 times that of non-Hispanic white Americans. The disparity is especially evident among people between the ages of 20 and 49.
-
Throughout the pandemic, black Americans have experienced 3.7 times more hospitalizations and 2.8 times more fatalities than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts.
-
Recent New York Times reports on several scientific studies have shown that disparities in incidence and mortality between racial groups can be explained by social and environmental factors, such as occupational exposure.
Bar chart showing the highest death rates per 100,000 people, by race or ethnicity.
Location and occupations
-
Although only 5% of cases occur in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities, they account for more than 100,000 deaths, or approximately 38% of all deaths in the United States according to New York Times.
-
A Guardian and Kaiser Health News investigation has counted 1,445 deaths of health workers on Dec. 9.
-
According to the International Union of Food and Trade Workers (UFCW), more than 29,000 food production workers have been infected or exposed in grocery stores, meat packaging plants and food processing facilities. ; 175 of these workers have died as of September 2020.
-
There are currently nearly 7,000 federal inmates who have tested positive for Covid-19. A further 20,000 are said to have been recovered, according to data from the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). 155 prisoners and 2 BOP staff members have died.
Tests and answer
-
The United States has conducted more than 200 million tests to date, according to the Covid Tracking Project, with increasing positivity rates.
-
Positivity rates are the highest they have been since early summer, when test rates were much lower. The current seven-day average positivity rate exceeds 10%.
-
According to the same data, there are more than 100,000 people hospitalized. As reported by the New York Times earlier, many ICUs across the country are about to have capacity.
-
States have begun to re-implement stricter restrictions as cases continue to increase. In early December, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered a closure banning travel, except for essential purposes and private and public meetings of more than one household. Based on hospitalization climbing rates, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a ban in the inner dining room in New York City.
Graph of daily test lines.
Vaccination plans
-
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its approval for the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine on December 12th. An initial assignment of doses began to leave the Pfizer facility on Sunday.
-
According to data collected by Bloomberg, the United States has reserved enough vaccines for 139% of its population in various agreements with vaccine manufacturers. While this number may seem high, it is worth noting that countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom have set aside enough to cover 410% and 295% of the population, respectively.
-
The US ordered doses of 100 million Pfizer and Moderna vaccines each. Pfizer and a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner have said Pfizer offered the Trump administration an additional dose of $ 100 million for the spring, though the offer was turned down.
-
A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine noted that 75% of U.S. residents would need immunity to “extinguish the epidemic.” Guardianship health journalist Jessica Glenza notes, “Vaccines are not tested on children, which means 70 million Americans under the age of 16 will not be eligible. to receive the vaccine, emphasizing the need for a high uptake in adults ”.
Economic incidents
-
The economic recovery slowed in November, with the United States adding only 245,000 jobs after stronger gains of 638,000 and 672,000 jobs in October and September, respectively. Although unemployment fell to 6.7%, more than a third of this group has been unemployed for 27 weeks or more.
-
12 million Americans are expected to lose their unemployment benefits by the end of the month as the Expenses Act expires and Congress is approved to pass another bill.
-
US GDP rose at an annual rate of 33.1% in the third quarter of this year, a notable improvement over the previous quarter.
-
According to the latest data from the Office of Economic Analysis, personal income fell 0.7%, while consumer spending rose 0.5%.
Double-line charts: one showing monthly unemployment rates, another showing weekly unemployment claims. Both are tending down.
Companies
-
On December 7, the National Restaurant Association sent a letter to Congress warning that 50,000 restaurants are in “an economic downturn.” In addition, more than 110,000 restaurants are closed permanently or in the long run.
-
In early December, Southwest Airlines warned that so many In the spring, 7,000 employees will be able to be laid off.
-
Although the retail industry has recently been affected even in ordinary years, recent months have caused flagship brands such as Brooks Brothers, JC Penney and J Crew to declare bankruptcy.
Health insurance
-
A new analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation has found that approximately 2 between three and three million people lost employer-based coverage between March and September. This loss of coverage may have been partially offset by strong Medicaid enrollment and market offerings.
-
On November 10, the Supreme Court heard arguments to overturn the Affordable Care Act in California against Texas. Although early speculations suggest that the act will largely remain in place, the revocation of the act would leave more than 21 million people uninsured.
Food supply
-
Food prices have risen 3.7% in the past year, according to the latest figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Although there were general increases, meat, poultry, fish and eggs experienced the largest increase (5.9%), with beef at the top, with 7.5%.
-
Local outlets across the country have noted that food banks and neighborhood pantries are in unprecedented demand. The manager of Martha’s Kitchen in the bay has noted that they serve 40,000 more meals a month.
This piece was initially published to mark the date when the United States reached 250,000 deaths on November 18, 2020.