21,000 Deaths in U.S. , World Death Total 113,000- NBC News, updated 7:48pm ET

[Stuart G]

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/live-blog/coronavirus-live-updates-u-s-surpasses-20-000-deaths-lead-n1182086


Updated April 12, 2020, 6:48 PM CDT


The U.S. has surpassed Italy as the country with the highest number of coronavirus deaths with more than 21,000 recorded by Sunday afternoon, according to NBC News figures.

Worldwide, the death toll is more than 113,000, and the number of confirmed cases has surpassed 1.8 million, according to Johns Hopkins University.

In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson was released from St. Thomas' Hospital in London and returned home Sunday, a promising sign for the Conservative leader's recovery


To mark Easter, Pope Francis gave his annual address on Sunday to an empty basilica, calling for solidarity and prayer during these difficult times as holiday traditions have been upended in the pandemic.

(more info at link)

[LongtimeAZDem]

1. True, but fortunately our rate is much lower; 67 per 1 million, versus Italy's 329

[thucythucy]

2. As a Nobel Prize winner once sang:

"Don't speak too soon for the wheel's still in spin..."

Italy may be over the worst.

Our worst may be yet to come.

[LongtimeAZDem]

3. Keep a bad thought

[thucythucy]

4. As opposed to the pollyanna route? nt.

[LongtimeAZDem]

5. No, as opposed to looking at the actual data, rather than spreading fear and hysteria

[thucythucy]

6. I doubt the fear most rational people feel at this point

needs me to help it spread.

A far greater concern, it seems to me, is this urge to continue to minimize the seriousness of what we are now facing.

To recap--

There is no immediate end in sight.

No vaccine available, perhaps for as long as eighteen months, perhaps longer.

Social distancing in this nation is still inconsistent, which means the virus continues to spread.

The lack of widespread testing means we have no idea how many people are actually infected, and no way to identify those who need to be kept isolated.

We are facing shortages of ventilators, masks, protective equipment.

Health care workers continue to sicken and die, and those that remain working in our hot spots face greater risk as their overworked systems become even more vulnerable to infection.

And we have an administration--and its enablers--continuing to minimize the threat we face. A governor in Florida who is seriously suggesting we reopen the public schools because "children don't get this." A religious community insisting that mega-churches continue to hold in-person services.

The fear is spreading because the threat is real.

And as I pointed out, whatever the data are at this point in time, there's no guarantee it won't change and change soon. In fact, odds are that it will.

If pointing this out is "fear mongering" then I'm guilty as charged.