Coronavirus has killed over 100,000 in the US, nearly three times more than the UK in second position
The US has passed the grim milestone of 100,000 deaths in the coronavirus pandemic since the first case was detected in January. It has recorded more deaths from Covid-19 than any other country in the world, even as its 1.69 million confirmed infections account for about 28% of the global total. All 50 states have, meanwhile, started the process of easing lockdown measures. The latest count of deaths (as of May 28) stands at 100,442, while 1,699,933 Covid-19 cases have been reported from across the US, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins. The US has seen close to three times as many deaths as the second-ranking country, UK, which has recorded 37,542 Covid-19 deaths as of May 28.
The latest figure means that Covid-19 has killed more Americans than the Vietnam and Korean wars combined. The death toll is approaching that of the first world war when more than 116,000 Americans died in combat. The new coronavirus has also killed more people than the AIDS epidemic did from 1981 through 1989. From 1981 through 1990, 100,777 deaths among persons with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by local, state and territorial health departments; and almost one third (31,196) of these deaths were reported during 1990.
Globally, coronavirus cases stand at 5,693,066, with 355,629 deaths since the outbreak began in China late last year. Of the top 20 most severely affected countries, the US ranks eighth based on deaths per capita, according to a Reuters tally. The US has three fatalities per 10,000 people. Belgium is first with eight deaths per 10,000, followed by Spain, the UK and Italy, says the report. According to the Johns Hopkins University, on a per capita basis, the US ranks ninth in its mortality rate behind Belgium, Spain, the UK, Italy, France, Sweden, Netherlands and Ireland.
President Donald Trump did not immediately react to the news. On May 26, during a briefing, he said that "if we didn’t act quickly and smartly, we would have had, in my opinion, and in the opinion of others, anywhere from 10 to 20 and maybe even 25 times the number of deaths." On the same day, he tweeted, "For all of the political hacks out there, if I hadn’t done my job well, & early, we would have lost 1 1/2 to 2 Million People, as opposed to the 100,000 plus that looks like will be the number. That's 15 to 20 times more than we will lose. I shut down entry from China very early!"
Trump has tried to downplay the threat from Covid-19 right from the beginning when the disease emerged in the US. During a briefing on February 11, for example, he said, "Now, the virus that we're talking about having to do — you know, a lot of people think that goes away in April with the heat — as the heat comes in. Typically, that will go away in April. We’re in great shape though. We have 12 cases — 11 cases, and many of them are in good shape now."
Joe Biden, Trump's likely Democratic challenger in November's White House election, issued a message directly to grieving families on Twitter: "There are moments in our history so grim, so heart-rending, that they're forever fixed in each of our hearts as shared grief. Today is one of those moments. 100,000 lives have now been lost to this virus. To those hurting, I'm so sorry for your loss. The nation grieves with you.”
The White House had earlier predicted that 100,000 to 240,000 Americans could die of coronavirus even if containment measures are followed almost perfectly. According to figures updated by the CDC till May 21, the US could see over 110,000 deaths by June 13. But the actual number of deaths may be much higher than the official figure, which does not take into account deaths outside of hospitals in many states. A tracking project by the CDC of "excess deaths" in each state beyond seasonal averages suggests the official count of Covid-19 deaths could leave out thousands of cases.
Experts also say that it is too early to determine whether the worst of the outbreak is over. The latest projections (May 26) by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model — which is often cited by the White House — suggests that 131,967 Americans are projected to die from Covid-19 by August 4.
Scientists have also warned that the coronavirus pandemic is not under control in much of the US and increased mobility as lockdown measures are eased could lead to the doubling of Covid-19 deaths over the next two months. An estimated 24 states still have a reproduction number above the critical threshold of one, meaning that each coronavirus patient is infecting more than one person, according to the research team from Imperial College London. Any reproduction rate above one means the virus spreads exponentially.