U.S. COVID-19 death toll surpasses 500,000

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As the anniversary of school closings approaches, the United States’ COVID-19 death toll has surpassed half a million. The U.S. remains the world’s coronavirus hotspot with upwards of 28 million cases, followed by India with upwards of 11 million cases.

• The deadliest day thus far for the U.S. has been Feb. 12, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 5,520 U.S. deaths.
• The U.S. coronavirus death toll has gone above 500,000. Going back to March of 2020, Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, now the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, estimated 100,000 to 240,000 deaths in the U.S. due to the coronavirus; and, now, less than a year later, the country has more than doubled his estimation. 
• According to the CDC weekly review, approximately 46.1 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in the U.S., which makes up 13.9% of the U.S. population.
• Around 21.6 million people have received two doses of the vaccine in the U.S., which makes up for 6.5% of the U.S. population. 
• The CDC continues to advise people to practice social distancing measures despite being vaccinated because much is to be learned about the virus in the real-world setting. “We also don’t yet know whether getting a COVID-19 vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself,” states the CDC. 
• The U.S. has detected three new variants of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus causing COVID-19).
  

The New Variants

Viruses, including SARS-CoV-2,  have the ability to change over time due to genetic variation. Some of these changes are expected as viruses spread, and many do not lead to major alterations in the proteins involved in infection; however, some can lead to harmful mutations. 

A few new variants of SARS-CoV-2 have been documented both in the United States and globally. The most notable and concerning variants are:

• B.1.1.7: A variant discovered in the United Kingdom (U.K.) that carries a large number of mutations. There have been cases of it reported in the U.S. as of December 2020. Evidence from scientists in the U.K. suggests that the new variant may have an association with increased risk of death, however, more research needs to be conducted to confirm this finding. Reported Cases in the U.S. according to the CDC: 2,102. 
• B.1.351: Known to have emerged in South Africa independently of B.1.1.7. Cases of this variant have been detected in the U.S. at the end of January 2021. Information from non-peer-reviewed publications suggests that this variant may be less impacted by the Moderna mRNA-1273 vaccine that is being used in the U.S.; though, more studies are needed to confirm this. There is no evidence yet that this variant leads to more severe disease.  Reported Cases in the U.S. according to the CDC: 49.
• P.1: A variant that emerged in Brazil, and was identified in travelers from Brazil who arrived in Japan in January 2o21. It was also detected in the U.S. by the end of January 2021. It is said to have 17 different mutations and may impact the ability to make antibodies, however, additional studies are needed to confirm this as well.  Reported Cases in the U.S. according to the CDC: 6.

These variants could lead to higher positivity rates in the U.S, which can be harmful to the pandemic response. As of now, percent positivity from RT-PCR tests is on a downturn with a rate of 5.9%. In order to successfully fight against this pandemic and continue this downturn, it’s more important now than ever to follow the guidelines provided by the CDC and medical officials. Losing half a million lives was unimaginable in the first few weeks of the pandemic, but now it’s a reality, and it can get much worse.