Global COVID-19 Cases Surpass 60 Million... US and Europe on Brink of Healthcare Collapse

US North Dakota Faces Nursing Staff Shortage... Weekly Pay Up to $10,000
Patients Transported by Plane from France, Belgium, and Other Full-Capacity Hospitals to Germany
Biden "Thanksgiving Family Gatherings Should Be Minimized... Extremely Important"

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The total number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) worldwide has surpassed 60 million. Centered on the United States and Europe, the spread of COVID-19 has surged fiercely, increasing by 10 million cases in just over two weeks. Due to the rapid increase in patients, hospitals in the US and European countries are struggling to find empty beds, leading to concerns that medical system collapse has become a reality.

According to COVID-19 statistics from Johns Hopkins University in the US on the 25th (local time), the cumulative global confirmed cases reached 60,234,023. This is just 17 days after surpassing 50 million on the 8th. Confirmed cases are spreading uncontrollably, mainly in the US and Europe. In the US, more than 1 million new cases were reported in the past week alone.

The spread of infections is linked to a vicious cycle of medical system collapse, worsening the situation. In the US, the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, especially in North Dakota. According to The Washington Post (WP), the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in the US has reached a record high of 88,000, and on the 24th, daily deaths reached 2,140, surpassing 2,000 for the first time since the first wave in April. According to The Hill, a measurement of regional death rates by the American Association for the Advancement of Science last week showed that North Dakota recorded the highest death rate worldwide, with 18.2 COVID-19 deaths per 1 million people.

As COVID-19 patients surge, there is an emergency in securing nursing staff. According to CNN, the weekly wage for nurses in the US was about $800 (approximately 880,000 KRW) until March, but it has now surged to an average of $5,200. In South Dakota, weekly wages of $6,200 are offered, and in North Dakota, wages range from $8,000 to $10,000 per week, but nursing staff are still hard to find. Due to the severe shortage of medical personnel, North Dakota has started allowing asymptomatic infected medical staff to return to wards since last week, but the shortage persists. CNN reported that the healthcare system in 27 US states has reached its limit.

The situation is expected to worsen further with the overlap of the Thanksgiving holiday. US President-elect Joe Biden, in a speech in Wilmington, Delaware, said, "We are at war with the virus," and acknowledged how difficult it is to give up family traditions during Thanksgiving but emphasized that it is very important. He stressed minimizing family gatherings during Thanksgiving and the importance of wearing masks and social distancing.

In Europe, countries such as France, Belgium, and Italy, where hospital beds are already full nationwide, are transporting patients to Germany using transport planes. Germany also accepted patients from other countries during the first wave of COVID-19 in April, but concerns are growing that intensive care units will soon run out of capacity due to the rapid increase in patients.