The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has the U.S. reaching one grim milestone after another.
At the time of this writing, there has been total of 149,684 coronavirus-related deaths reported. (source: John Hopkins University Coronavirus Research Center).
The past few weeks has seen record highs in the number of new cases reported daily – 19 states, including Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wisconsin reported single-day record highs in the week of July 19.
CNN reports that the number of new coronavirus cases in the U.S. has dropped recently – however, other grim records have been set.
Florida reported their highest number of deaths in a single day – 186 in a single day – on Tuesday (July 27). North Carolina reported a record high of COVID-19 hospitalization – 1,244 patients. Missouri had a 1,773 new cases on Tuesday (July 27) – a record high for the state – bringing the state’s total of COVID-19 cases to almost 45,000.
On Monday (July 28), Tennessee saw an average of over 2,000 positive tests – its highest seven-day average of new daily cases – showing a huge jump from its daily average over a month ago, at 750 per day.
Washington Post recently reported that there is growing evidence that young people maybe infecting their elder, more vulnerable family members, especially in shared households with two or more generations of adults.
According to the report, “Front-line caregivers, elected officials and experts in Houston, South Florida and elsewhere say they are seeing patterns of hospitalization and death that confirm fears this would happen.”
The pandemic’s economic repercussions have forced some of the younger adults to move back in with their parents. And, with the states slowly starting to reopen, young adults are among those braving exposure to return to work or school. Some have also visited bars and restaurants when the restrictions relaxed. It’s these exposures that run the risk of bringing the virus home and transmitting it to the elder members of their household.
Dr. Pat Herlihy, chief of critical care at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston, also shared his hypothesis.
“We think when Texas started opening up, that was May 1, it was young people going to bars and restaurants, out and about, gathering socially,” Dr. Herlihy said. “My hypothesis now is that they’re engaging with the larger families, they’re engaging with the 60- to 70-year-olds — parents uncles, aunts. They’re engaging much more with that vulnerable population.”
Experts have noted that many younger people are either asymptomatic or only exhibit mild symptoms when infected – which could mean that even they are not aware that they could be bringing the virus home.
With the surge in new cases following the reopenings, health officials are also urging states to implement stricter measures. Over 30 states have now issued various mandates on facial coverings, a.k.a. masks, to be worn in public to curb the spread of COVID-19. Please check your state’s guidelines to find out more.
Take care and stay safe everyone!
