SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, has killed more than 100,000 Americans in just four months, making the United States the first country to reach the grim milestone.
That is almost twice the number of Americans who died during the Vietnam War, and matches the toll in the United States of the 1968 flu pandemic.
Since the government confirmed the first known COVID-19 related death happened on February 6, an average of nearly 900 Americans have died everyday.
John Hopkins University reported the data they collected Wednesday, yet it is speculated that this does not cover the victims who died in their homes and not in a hospital and those who might not have been tested for coronavirus.
While the number of new cases and deaths begun to gradually subside, health experts and statisticians warn of the possibility for the virus to reemerge as lockdowns are lifted.
With 1.72 million reported infections, the US leads the world in both deaths and confirmed cases –this number includes more than 62,000 doctors, nurses and other health care providers who were at the frontlines for the COVID-19 response.
Dr. Chris Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, or IHME, at the University of Washington proved a point in an interview that wearing masks has been clearly proven effective against transmission.
“And so, what happens in the next month or two is very much in the hands of how people respond,” he added.
Dr. Anthony Fauci also pointed out how crucial it is to perform “simple” things like wearing masks and washing hands.
“Those are the things that everybody should seriously consider doing,” said the nation’s top infectious disease expert.
Fauci expressed his feelings about people ignoring social distancing guidelines and not wearing masks, saying how it is “very troubling.”
“That’s really tempting fate and asking for trouble.”