The official projections are difficult to comprehend. U.S. officials are now predicting at least 100,000 could die from COVID-19. The next two weeks will be especially difficult, he said.
The New York Times writes:
“The top government scientists battling the coronavirus estimated Tuesday that the deadly pathogen could kill between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans, in spite of the disruptive social distancing measures that have closed schools, banned large gatherings, limited travel and forced people to stay in their homes.
“Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, and Dr. Deborah L. Birx, who is coordinating the coronavirus response, displayed that grim projection at the White House on Tuesday, calling it “our real number” but pledging to do everything possible to reduce those numbers even further.“
President Trump appeared at the briefing to be more “somber” than usual.
But history will forever mark the missed opportunities, the lost weeks that might have saved thousands of lives. Those weeks were spent by Donald Trump and his supporters downplaying the seriousness of the coronavirus, until it was too late.
The Washington Post writes: “On Tuesday, the number of reported coronavirus deaths in the United States for the first time topped 800 in a day, according to data compiled by The Washington Post.
“The total U.S. death count exceeds 3,700, which is more than the numbers reported by China. The previous highest U.S. daily toll was more than 500.“