Coronavirus cases grow at a record pace, putting hospitals on the brink of collapse

The United States set a

Thursday: The number of new coronavirus cases surpassed

, a level unprecedented since July.

Along with the infections,

for the new coronavirus is

throughout the country, which could put the health system at the limit of its capacity. 

Experts warn that the situation could even worsen in the winter given the lack of consistent policies across the country and a mandatory mandate to wear a mask. 

A projection by scientists at the University of Washington indicates that there

from COVID-19 by the end of February. 

[Follow all our coverage on the coronavirus pandemic]

Rising numbers

Specifically, nationwide, 77.640 new cases were reported in the day, above the 75.723 of July 29, according to

NBC News count.

This record is recorded when the total number of coronavirus cases in the United States adds up to almost 8.5 million and 224,280 deaths.

On Thursday, 921 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported.

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 The impact is felt in the availability of beds in health centers.

In the last month, the number of hospitalizations due to the virus increased 40%, according to a report by The New York Times. 

About 41,000 people are hospitalized, including many in the Midwest region and the so-called Highland West. 

Although higher figures were recorded in previous months, when New York was the epicenter of the pandemic by case, there are fears for the state of serious patients in rural areas with limited access to health services. 

A distressing trend

Jay Butler, deputy director of infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said Wednesday there is a "distressing trend" in the number of coronavirus cases, which are "increasing. in almost 75% of the country. "

[The pandemic leaves the United States with almost 300,000 more deaths than expected in a normal year]

Much of this increase occurs in the Midwest.

States like Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin have seen increases in the last two weeks, which are attributed, in part, to cooler weather that forces people to stay indoors.

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"The smallest and most intimate gatherings with family, friends and neighbors could be causing infections," said Butler, who also acknowledged the fatigue that the pandemic may be causing among people.

"We get tired of wearing a mask, but it is still as important as ever," he warned.

The key to saving more than 130,000 lives 

The current policies that are implemented in the United States to stop the pandemic could lead to 511,373 deaths by February 28, 2021, according to a study published this Friday in the journal Nature Medicine.

"We are heading for a very substantial fall-winter increase," Christopher Murray, director of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the School of Medicine, told USA Today. 

New York restricted protective measures in a number of areas of the city that have a new increase in cases.

AP / AP

The fact that states do not have a common policy on the use of the mask and measures to prevent the spread of the virus could lead to this loss of half a million lives in a matter of months. 

However, scientists also predicted that nearly 130,000 deaths could be prevented from late September to late February if at least 95% of the population wore face masks in public.

If only 85% do so, almost 96,000 lives could be saved.

More than 600 cases per day

In Chicago, health personnel carry out diagnostic tests in August in one of the neighborhoods most affected by the pandemic.

AP

In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced new restrictions on Thursday, claiming that the city's average daily case rate increased by

, NBC Chicago reported.

Chicago is currently reporting more than 600 new coronavirus cases a day, the highest daily rate since late May, city officials said.

[The COVID-19 pandemic rebounds: how to take care of the new wave of infections and also enjoy the holidays in safety]

"We are, without a doubt, in the

," the mayor warned at a press conference.

"This is what it looks like."

As of Friday, service inside bars that do not have a license to sell food is again prohibited, just weeks after the restriction was lifted.

Also, non-essential businesses must close at 10pm each day.

First approved drug 

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 Also on Thursday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of remdesivir to treat COVID-19, the first and only drug so far to receive federal approval for the coronavirus.

The drug, made by Gilead Sciences, had received emergency use authorization from the FDA in May.

But to obtain full FDA approval, a manufacturer must submit additional evidence to account for its safety and efficacy.

Remdesivir is now approved for patients over 12 years of age who are hospitalized with COVID-19.

It is given intravenously, usually for five days.

A volunteer for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine dies in Brazil.

The causes are still unknown

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With information from NBC News, The New York Times and USA Today