As Americans head home for the holidays, health experts are warning of the possible profound impacts of a potential COVID-19 surge if people don’t observe pandemic prevention measures, including skipping holiday travel and family gatherings. The U.S. saw a significant increase in coronavirus infections following summer vacations and the Thanksgiving holiday, with December now the worst month in the U.S. in terms of confirmed cases. The Covid Tracking Project reports as of Tuesday, there were 117,777 people hospitalized with COVID-19 – another new single-day record – and over 3,000 deaths, with an average 2,654 people dying each day over the past seven days.
December is on pace to surpass April to become the deadliest month in the U.S. since the beginning of the pandemic. Additionally, 2020 is on track to be the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths topping three million for the first time ever. Based on the leading causes of death for 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 is likely the third leading cause of death this year, behind heart disease and cancer.
Experts warn of new COVID-19 post-holiday surge; December on track to be deadliest month
