US Faces Worst Two Weeks... "Predicted 2,000 Deaths Daily"

US Researchers Predict Peak Deaths by Mid-Month
Severe Shortage of Medical Equipment and Staff
Patients Reported on Aircraft Carrier, Captain Requests Landing

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] As the number of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) patients in the United States explodes, predictions have emerged that there will be moments in the next two weeks when more than 2,000 people will die each day.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) cited data from the University of Washington on the 31st of last month, forecasting that by early August this year, 84,000 people will have died from COVID-19 in the United States. According to the University of Washington research team, the number of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. is expected to peak at 2,214 around the 15th of this month. Although the number of deaths is expected to gradually decrease afterward, the daily average death toll in May is projected to reach 1,000.

According to the researchers, while the number of confirmed cases is rapidly increasing, hospital beds and intensive care facilities in the U.S. are likely to become severely insufficient. Medical facilities in the U.S. are already complaining about shortages of both medical staff and beds. However, the situation is expected to worsen further. The researchers estimated that if the number of patients reaches its peak, there will be a shortage of 54,000 hospital beds and 14,000 intensive care beds.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

In the U.S., as COVID-19 patients surge, medical facilities are being overwhelmed with patients. The federal and state governments are making desperate efforts to secure hospital beds. The federal government has already deployed hospital ships to alleviate the medical burden on frontline hospitals and is mobilizing military personnel to secure beds. State governments are converting public facilities into hospitals, and even retired doctors and nurses are returning to the medical field to treat patients.

In New York City, where confirmed COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing, the death toll surpassed 1,000 on this day. Due to the surge in patients, deceased bodies are being stored in refrigerated trucks and other facilities.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo stated on this day, "We underestimated COVID-19," adding, "It is much stronger and more dangerous than expected." Governor Cuomo also reported that "medical staff are already physically and mentally exhausted."

There are reports that even U.S. aircraft carriers are struggling to operate due to COVID-19. Captain Brett Crozier of the U.S. aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt reported that more than 100 crew members have tested positive for COVID-19 and requested permission for most of the crew to leave the ship. According to local U.S. media, Captain Crozier appealed to the Department of Defense, saying, "If action is not taken now, we could lose our most valuable asset, the crew," and "We cannot let them die."

Meanwhile, in Europe, the cumulative number of confirmed cases has surpassed 400,000. The spread is accelerating in Spain and France. Spain recorded 9,222 new confirmed cases, and France 7,578. In Spain, 849 people died from COVID-19 in one day, and in France, 499 people died.

On the other hand, in Italy, which was considered the epicenter of COVID-19 after China, the increase in confirmed cases has slowed. On this day, 4,053 new confirmed cases were reported, maintaining a similar level to the previous day. The death toll increased by 837, bringing the total number of deaths to 12,428.