The United States has hit a devastating milestone in eight months – 250,000 deaths – while a key coronavirus model is estimating nearly 400,000 deaths by February.
It took only six days to see the surge of positive cases increase from 10 to 11 million, and the number of cases keeps rising.
This staggering number of cases and deaths demands the enforcement of a national mask mandate, and possibly a national lockdown or mandatory curfew led by state governors to slow down the spread of the virus.
The question is, what are we waiting for?
COVID-19 cases are on the steep uptick, and Nov. 19 is on record the deadliest day with 1,912 deaths since the pandemic began in March.
We are now seeing hundreds of thousands of positive COVID-19 cases reported almost daily, and hospitalizations throughout the country are through the roof.
There seems to be no relief in near sight for our healthcare workers, and the physical and emotional strain is taking a toll on them. Some have even resorted to go on social media to plead the public to take the pandemic more seriously and wear a mask whenever they’re out.
President-elect Joe Biden agreed that certain states must resort to closing down the hardest hit towns to alleviate the pressure on the overrun hospitals, the lack of resources and the shortage of healthcare providers.
Even as several successful vaccines have been announced in the last few weeks by different American laboratories with 90-95% effectiveness, the access to these vaccines will face genuine logistical challenges for distribution among Americans.
Scientists and doctors have announced “a dark winter” indicating that it will get worse, more cases and more deaths, as the pandemic continues to go on.
Sadly, the politicization of the pandemic as a “hoax” is the reason for the divide between Americans to follow protocols to protect each other. Without full cooperation, the pandemic will continue to spread, and more people will die.
Seemingly, some of the pandemic deniers fail to understand how the virus transmits, and why a mask is so effective in preventing the transmission.
Wearing a mask blocks the inhalation of the infectious aerosols in the air and protects the mask wearer from catching the virus in closed spaces.
According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, the safest practice during these holidays is to have virtual gatherings.
By closing states, wearing a mask and following CDC guidelines, we can slow down the spread of the virus, protect each other and save lives.
