COVID-19 Update in the U.S: Hospitals Overrun as 1 Million Fresh Cases Reported in a Week

The U.S. has reported more than 11 million COVID-19 cases that include 1 million new infections in just one week and 2 million since the beginning of the month.

Hospitals are reaching a breaking point as they treat nearly 70,000 coronavirus patients. In Utah, cases are skyrocketing. As ICUs are filling up, health care workers are feeling the strain.

Nate Smithson, a nurse, who works at Intermountain Medical Center — Utah’s largest hospital, said, “We’re tired. Mentally, physically, emotionally exhausted”.

Janine Roberts, another nurse from the same hospital told CBS News, “We have these patients who literally are on life support. We’re working super hard to get them better, finally helping them to wake up, and then the first thing they’re trying to communicate is that it’s all a hoax.”

In California, COVID-19 cases have doubled in the past 10 days, while in El Paso, Texas, it is not just hospitals that are overwhelmed; the coroner is too.

Michigan is now imposing new lockdown measures and Washington’s governor has announced an immediate shutdown of theaters, indoor gyms, theaters, indoor dining, and bowling alleys.

In the meantime, Moderna announced it has developed a vaccine that’s nearly 95% effective. It comes one week after Pfizer announced that its COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective at preventing coronavirus infections in people not known to have the virus already.