Coronavirus forecast in US offers grim prospects



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The coronavirus death toll in the United States is expected to exceed 180,000 and could reach 200,000 by September 5, according to modelers whose forecasts are shared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – a grim prediction as the country tries to fight the virus and revitalize the economy.

Deaths in the United States are currently at least 169,313, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Total infections exceed 5.3 million, with new cases on Friday exceeding 60,000 after two days of more than 50,000 new cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins. The US total represents about a quarter of cases worldwide, or more than 21 million.

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California became the first U.S. state to report more than 600,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. Deaths there exceed 11,000. Meanwhile, in New York City, once the U.S. epicenter of the virus, Governor Andrew Cuomo said hospitalizations in the state on Saturday fell to 523, the lowest since March 17. Mr Cuomo also said the state set a new daily record on Friday. for the number of Covid-19 tests reported to 88,668, with a positivity rate of 0.8%.

The CDC has updated the guidelines for people who have recovered from a coronavirus infection, based on the results that they can continue to test positive for up to three months without being infectious to others. People should remain isolated for at least 10 days after symptoms appear and for up to 24 hours after their fever has subsided, but after that there is no need to “quarantine or be tested. again for up to three months as long as they no longer develop symptoms, ”the CDC website said.

McKesson Corp. will lead the distribution of future coronavirus vaccines and related supplies, President Trump said on Friday, as part of the government’s efforts to accelerate the development and production of drugs and vaccines against Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

More than a third of Americans polled, however, said they would choose not to be vaccinated against the coronavirus, an NPR-PBS NewsHour-Marist poll released on Friday showed, while 60% said they would take the Photo. However, it is more positive for the vaccine than with the H1N1 flu in 2009, where the margin was 42% no and only 52% yes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency clearance for an inexpensive Covid-19 test that Yale University has developed in partnership with the National Basketball Association. Players and staff took the saliva test, known as SalivaDirect, as well as the more traditional and invasive nasal and oral swabs. The results of the two methods were almost identical, according to an unpaired report released earlier this month.

“Being able to perform a test without extraction kits can increase testing capacity and reduce pressure on resources,” the FDA said. “Since the saliva sample is self-collected under the observation of a healthcare professional, this test could also potentially reduce the risk posed to healthcare workers responsible for collecting the samples.” SalivaDirect is the fifth saliva-based sample test to receive FDA clearance.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order on Saturday that would require widespread testing for Covid-19 in state jails and prisons. The decree establishes new testing and safety protocols to limit the spread of the virus in confined populations. Part of the decree requires that detainees be tested upon entering, transferring and leaving various types of penal institutions, including juvenile detention centers.

Retail spending in the United States exceeded pre-pandemic levels in July, increasing 1.2% from June. But further economic hardship could arise: More recent data suggests households are moderating spending in some areas, in part due to the expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits at the end of July. A study released this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research predicts that eliminating the benefit will lead to a 44% drop in local spending. The Senate failed to reach agreement on Thursday on a new economic relief plan and adjourned until September 8. President Trump has acted to replace the payments with a $ 300 a week benefit, but it is not expected to hit workers for weeks. .

In Europe, several countries on Friday restricted travel to and from parts of the European Union where rates of coronavirus infection have increased in recent weeks. Normally, travel within the EU is passport-free and unrestricted.

The German Foreign Ministry has warned against travel to Spain, a popular summer vacation destination for German tourists. Travelers returning from Spain will have to take a test and wait for its result in quarantine.

From Saturday, the UK will demand that people coming from France and the Netherlands be quarantined for 14 days, with France pledging to return the measure.

Some Asian countries are experiencing a resurgence of new cases.

South Korea recorded 166 new cases on Saturday, its largest single-day increase in five months, bringing its total to 15,000, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The government is tightening social distancing rules for two weeks in the Seoul metropolitan area, where many new cases have emerged. Participation in professional sporting events will be restricted and high-risk venues designated by the government – including public facilities, nightclubs, karaoke halls and indoor concert halls – must adopt preventive measures such as masks mandatory.

China added 22 new infections on Friday, including 14 imported cases, the country’s health commission said. In Shenzhen, just across the border from Hong Kong, two workers at a supermarket owned by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. tested positive on Friday. Freshippo, the supermarket chain, said it was closing all 21 stores in Shenzhen from Saturday to disinfect them and test employees.

India’s latest daily tally was 65,002 new cases and 996 deaths, bringing its totals to 2,526,192 and 49,036, respectively, the health ministry reported on Saturday. As the country celebrated its 74th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said mass production of a coronavirus vaccine – India has three experimental ones in development, he said – would start shortly after scientists gave the green light. The celebration was scaled back this year, with safety protocols that included limiting the number of guests and distributing kits containing masks, disinfectants and gloves.

Japanese Emperor Naruhito made his first televised remarks on the virus on Saturday. After alluding to the suffering of WWII – the speech fell on the 75th anniversary of his grandfather Hirohitos’ historic radio address agreeing to the terms of surrender – Naruhito said the new coronavirus had brought new difficulties. He called on the nation to “unite and overcome this difficult situation”.

In New Zealand, which recently locked down its largest city, Auckland, after another outbreak, authorities said on Saturday there were seven new cases of community transmission. Six were linked to earlier cases, but one remains under investigation. That compares to 12 new confirmed cases and one probable case reported on Friday.

In the Australian state of Victoria, battling the region’s worst coronavirus outbreak with strict lockdown measures, authorities on Saturday reported 303 new cases in the past 24 hours, up from 372 the day before, and four more deaths.

Write to Talal Ansari at [email protected] and to Stella Yifan Xie at [email protected]

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