By Soo Kim
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Over 20,000 novel coronavirus patients in the U.S., the global epicenter of the outbreak, have recovered from infection as of Monday, according to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University.
The virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, has infected over 1.3 million people across at least 184 countries and regions to date. While more than 76,500 have died, over 292,400 have recovered.
The U.S. has seen more than double the number of recoveries than South Korea, which reported at least 6,694. South Korea formerly had the highest number of cases outside China.
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America has more than 369,000 confirmed cases and counting, with New York reporting the highest number of infections of any state at 130,689 as of Monday, according to the latest figures from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is yet to release the official number of recoveries in the country from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus.
A CDC spokesperson previously told Newsweek it does not "have the current numbers for recovered patients at this time, and CDC has not included this data in our ongoing case counts as of yet" but the CDC "may put it [the data on recoveries] together in the future."
Currently, there is no treatment or vaccine for the virus. Vaccine trials have begun in different countries, including in the U.S.
Scientists at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute launched the first vaccine trial in people for the new coronavirus last month. The jab mRNA-1273 uses a segment of the virus' genetic code rather than a piece of the virus, which they hope will make a vaccine quicker to develop.
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At the same time, researchers at Oxford University in the U.K. began testing a vaccine in animals, while Chinese biopharmaceutical company CanSino Biologics announced its vaccine Ad5-nCoV had been approved to start a phase 1 clinical trial in humans.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and a member of the White House COVID-19 task force, noted last month: "It will take at least a year to a year [and] a half to have a vaccine we can use."
The U.S. continues to see a growing number of cases each day, including deaths. According to the latest projections, the U.S. may be on track to have the world's highest death toll within a week.
The daily death count in the U.S. has been on a sharply rising trend, having increased exponentially over the past few weeks. The death rates in Italy and Spain, the other two countries with the highest number of cases, are showing signs of decline.
A top health official warned Americans to prepare for the "hardest and saddest week" with the death count expected to surge.
The U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams told Fox News on Sunday: "This is going to be the hardest and the saddest week of most Americans' lives, quite frankly. This is going to be our Pearl Harbor moment, our 9/11 moment, only it's not going to be localized. It's going to be happening all over the country."
He added that "there is a light at the end of the tunnel if everyone does their part for the next 30 days."
The graphic below, provided by Statista, illustrates the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S.
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Data on COVID-19 cases is from Johns Hopkins University unless otherwise stated.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice on Using Face Coverings to Slow Spread of COVID-19
- CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering in public where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- A simple cloth face covering can help slow the spread of the virus by those infected and by those who do not exhibit symptoms.
- Cloth face coverings can be fashioned from household items. Guides are offered by the CDC. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html)
- Cloth face coverings should be washed regularly. A washing machine will suffice.
- Practice safe removal of face coverings by not touching eyes, nose, and mouth, and wash hands immediately after removing the covering.
World Health Organization advice for avoiding spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19)
Hygiene advice
- Clean hands frequently with soap and water, or alcohol-based hand rub.
- Wash hands after coughing or sneezing; when caring for the sick; before, during and after food preparation; before eating; after using the toilet; when hands are visibly dirty; and after handling animals or waste.
- Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance from anyone who is coughing or sneezing.
- Avoid touching your hands, nose and mouth. Do not spit in public.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or bent elbow when coughing or sneezing. Discard the tissue immediately and clean your hands.
Medical advice
- Avoid close contact with others if you have any symptoms.
- Stay at home if you feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and runny nose, to avoid potential spread of the disease to medical facilities and other people.
- If you develop serious symptoms (fever, cough, difficulty breathing) seek medical care early and contact local health authorities in advance.
- Note any recent contact with others and travel details to provide to authorities who can trace and prevent spread of the disease.
- Stay up to date on COVID-19 developments issued by health authorities and follow their guidance.
Mask and glove usage
- Healthy individuals only need to wear a mask if taking care of a sick person.
- Wear a mask if you are coughing or sneezing.
- Masks are effective when used in combination with frequent hand cleaning.
- Do not touch the mask while wearing it. Clean hands if you touch the mask.
- Learn how to properly put on, remove and dispose of masks. Clean hands after disposing of the mask.
- Do not reuse single-use masks.
- Regularly washing bare hands is more effective against catching COVID-19 than wearing rubber gloves.
- The COVID-19 virus can still be picked up on rubber gloves and transmitted by touching your face.
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