Coronavirus
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a forecast that deaths related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the United States could reach 20,000 in just the next 21 days.

In the CDC projection, more than 173,000 COVID-19 deaths in America may come by August 22. The forecast was published by the CDC itself, the CTV News reported.

The CDC data means about 1,000 deaths will take place every day for the next 30 days.

The John Hopkins University data showed that since the start of the pandemic, at least 154,000 deaths have been recorded in America, with over 4.6 million infected with COVID-19.

The CDC said new deaths will most likely increase in the states of Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and Washington. Some of these states have seen some progress in their COVID-19 numbers, but have recently raised their alarm again.

Across the country, local leaders and public health experts have told residents that they have to be on alert and careful because social gatherings, especially among younger Americans, are fueling the spread of the coronavirus among people.

States in the South appear to be near their peak, but experts said even those in the Midwest have to feel more concerned as well.

More Masks, More Lives Saved

Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency physician at Lifespan Health System, said levels are "still far too high" in the U.S., the CNN reported. She reminded people about the need to use masks.

She also said it may be for the best that large social gatherings are "shut down for the time being" until the U.S. comes up with a strategy that gets the virus under better control.

Experts said young people in the U.S. may bring the virus back home without knowing it as many people do not show symptoms.

Health officials in Washington said at least 30 percent of residents, who came up positive of the coronavirus caught it from someone who was asymptomatic.

Dr. Chris Murray of the University of Washington said about 55 percent of Americans are wearing a mask these days.

Murray sees it as good news, but thinks there is still "a long way to go" before the U.S. can meet the estimated 95 percent mask wearing rate in Singapore, which can save a lot of lives in the country.

Researchers in Texas also reported that there are some effects to even two weeks' worth of social distancing policies. It can spread the virus by about 65 percent globally that can then prevent 1.5 million new cases.

Daniel McGrail, a post-doctoral fellow studying systems biology, said in a statement that states with social distancing policies showed lower transmission rates compared to states without.

The team even saw a smaller reduction spread in states without such policies.

"New Phase"

According to NPR, White House coronavirus task force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said on Sunday that the U.S. is facing a "new phase" of the pandemic, noting that it is "extraordinarily widespread" within both rural and urban areas.

She urged people to follow public health rules as cases are still climbing in many parts of the country.

Birx said what the U.S. is seeing today is different from the March and April numbers. The White House's coronavirus task force warned about emerging hot spots in the Midwest as cases in the South and West skyrocket in the recent months.

Birx told CNN that the projects can still be changed, if states can speed up or maintain their efforts to fight the virus.

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