THE US reached a new record with more than 3,900 daily coronavirus fatalities on Wednesday – and experts warned that the figure may increase in the coming days.
In the 24 hours leading up to 8:30pm, 3,927 people died of Covid-19, according to data from John Hopkins University.
With the latest figures, the country’s death count reached 341,835, and infections hit 19,715,899.
Meanwhile, hospitalizations hit 125,000 in a single day.
The dismal numbers lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to warn that the next 24 days could bring 82,000 more deaths, according to the Daily Mail.
Specifically, the CDC predicted that 12,400 to 24,300 new fatalities could occur in the week ending Jan. 23.
That would bring the total number of deaths to somewhere between 383,000 to 424,000.
Covid-19 figures in the US continue increase days after the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, warned that the worst of the pandemic may be yet to come.
On Sunday, Fauci said that he expects a surge in cases after the holidays owed to Americans traveling despite health officials advising against it.
“We very well might see a post-seasonal—in the sense of Christmas, New Year’s—surge, and as I’ve described it, as a surge upon a surge,” Fauci said.
“Because if you look at the slope, the incline of cases that we’ve experienced as we’ve gone into the late fall and soon to be early winter, it is really quite troubling.”
Infections are on the rise even though two Covid-19 vaccines, by Pfizer and Moderna, were approved for emergency use earlier this month and are being distributed to health care workers and nursing home residents.
About 2.8million people have already received Covid-19 shots—far below the 20million that President Donald Trump’s administration forecasted by the end of 2020.
Fauci said that if the US can “diligently vaccinate” Americans next year, the country could get back to normal around the beginning of fall.
In order to for the country to reach herd immunity, 70 to 84 percent of Americans must receive the jab, Fauci said.
