They organize parties to see who gets covid-19 0:59
(CNN) - As Americans head to a festive weekend in the shadow of a devastating coronavirus pandemic, some governors are reconsidering their stance on facemasks after days of record-breaking infections.
The United States reported more than 52,000 new cases of the virus on Thursday, a new daily record that exceeds one set the previous day.
The coronavirus has killed more than 128,000 people and infected more than 2.7 million nationwide, according to Johns Hopkins University. Infection rates are increasing in 36 states, and patients are quickly filling hospitals across the south and west.
California, Arizona, Texas and Florida reported new record cases this week: Florida reported more than 10,000 additional cases of coronavirus on Thursday, while Texas had about 8,000 new ones.
Nearly two dozen states have paused its reopens to combat the spread, while others have taken additional steps to keep it out of their borders. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut issued a travel advisory requiring people arriving from eight states with high rates of coronavirus to be quarantined for two weeks.
Nashville, Tennessee.
Here are other important developments this week:
Masks alone cannot help fight coronavirus
Some state leaders have attributed the increase in new cases to more testing being done. But experts attributed it to the increase in infections caused by the lack of a comprehensive response.
"If you turn your back on the virus, if you turn your back on science, it will bite you," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"And that's what's happening in most of the US, where we see really rapid increases and, in some places, increases in the virus."
Contrary to what people think, he told CNN's Chris Cuomo, the virus cannot be stopped by a single measure.
READ : The controversial meme about the use of masks that Trump's son shared
“Whether it's restricting travel or staying home or testing many people or wearing a mask. And all that is important, but none of them, by itself, will control this, "he said. "Basically you need to physically distance yourself. The 'ulc' (or 'three w'): Wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance, and you need to encapsulate the virus with strategic testing, effective isolation, rapid contact tracking, and support quarantine. We are not doing that yet in most of the country. ”
Officials fear that July 4 may spark an increase in cases, and are urging Americans to limit their holidays to avoid outbreaks. The holiday weekend could be the "perfect storm" for a peak in coronavirus cases due to travel, easing restrictions and people who don't follow preventive guidelines, said Dr. Joshua Barocas, an infectious disease specialist doctor. from the Boston Medical Center.
They organize parties to see who gets covid-19 0:59The virus has mutated to become more infectious
The measures are especially relevant after new research that the virus has mutated to become more infectious.
A global study found strong evidence that a new form of coronavirus has spread from Europe to the United States. The new mutation makes the virus more likely to infect people, but does not appear to make patients sicker than previous variations of the virus, an international team of researchers reported Thursday.
"It is now the dominant form that infects people," said Erica Ollmann Saphire of the La Jolla Institute of Immunology and the Coronavirus Immunotherapy Consortium, which worked on the study. "This is the virus now."
READ : New mutant version of coronavirus: it spreads faster, but it does not make you sicker
The team verified more genetic sequences and conducted experiments on people, animals, and cells on laboratory dishes that show that the mutant version is more common and more infectious than other versions.
The new version appears to multiply faster in the upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses and throat), which would explain why it happens more easily, the researchers said. But tests on 1,000 hospitalized patients with coronavirus showed that those infected with the new version fared no worse than those who caught the original strain.
"We know that the new virus is in better shape. At first glance, it doesn't seem to be any worse, ”said Saphire.
The study was published in the journal Cell and confirms previous work suggesting that the mutation made the new variant of the virus more common.
Thousands more projected deaths this month
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now projects nearly 148,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States by July 25.
This week's national forecast is based on 24 individual forecasts from outside institutions and researchers. New projections released Thursday offer the projection with a possible range of approximately 139,000 to 161,000 deaths.
Overall statewide forecasts suggest that the number of new deaths over the next four weeks in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming will likely exceed the reported number. the past four weeks, ”the CDC said on its forecasting website.
"For other states, the new death toll is expected to be similar to the number seen in the previous four weeks or to decrease slightly."
Unlike the individual models, the CDC's joint forecast provides projections for the coming month.
More states establish radical mandates for mask use
When the Texas and Kansas mask-wear mandates take effect on Friday, 19 states and Washington will have such requirements.
In a massive turnaround, Texas won't allow people in counties with 20 or more active covid-19 cases to go out without covering their faces. About 95% of Texans live in those areas.
"We have the ability to keep business open and move our economy forward so that Texans can continue to earn a salary, but it requires each of us to do our part to protect each other, and that means wearing a mask in public spaces." Texas Governor Greg Abbott said.
Texans under the age of 10 and people with a medical condition that prevents them from wearing a mask are exempt. Repeatedly violating the measures can result in a fine, the order says.
Other governors have also issued orders statewide, including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, and Michigan.
LOOK : Covid-19: "the worst is yet to come", according to the WHO
It is not possible to determine what caused the current spike in coronavirus cases, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. But it is likely the result of a series of events that occurred simultaneously, including the protests, the Memorial Day festivities and the reopening of the states, he told the Harvard Business Review.
Of the 36 states whose new cases have increased this week compared to the previous week, nine of them have increased by more than 50%: Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Alaska, and Delaware.
Arman Azad, Amanda Watts, Shelby Lin Erdman, and Maggie Fox contributed to this report.
July 4th
