Will those who recover from covid-19 be able to vote?
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(CNN) - The
United States recorded 91,530 new covid-19 infections the day many Americans cast their votes, adding to a staggering number of cases reported just last week.
The highest five days of coronavirus cases in the country have been recorded since Oct. 29, affirming warnings from experts that another surge is on the way and will only get worse.
The 7-day national average of new cases is now about 86,363, more than double what it was on September 4.
And while doctors have emphasized that basic public health measures like masks and social distancing can make a difference, such measures remain a point of contention in some parts of the United States.
Right now, only five states are trending in the right direction: Alabama, Hawaii, Louisiana, Tennessee and Vermont, while at least 36 are reporting more new cases than the previous week, data from Johns Hopkins University shows.
And states like Idaho, Ohio, New Mexico, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin reported a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.
Americans head to the polls amid a heartbreaking spike in covid-19 that has nearly doubled the average 7-day US cases in a month
In Kentucky, the governor had long warned that infections were increasing rapidly, saying Tuesday that "things seem to get worse every day."
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"We see not only an increase in the virus, but more and more of our children by percentage who are contracting it," Governor Andy Beshear said in a statement.
His words follow an alarming new report that says that COVID-19 case counts affect children across the country at "unprecedented levels," with the last week of October recording the highest peak in a week in new. infections.
Hospitalizations among Americans are also increasing, and hundreds of people lose their lives to the virus every day.
More than 232,000 have died in the United States since the start of the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.
And about 100,000 more Americans would die in the next two months, projections from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington show.
Hospitalizations 'increase dramatically' in the Midwest
Across the country, more than 50,000 people are hospitalized with the virus, according to data from the Covid Tracking Project, an increase of more than 67% in one month.
Hospitalizations are "dramatically increasing" in the Midwest, according to the project.
"In the region, there are 238 people currently hospitalized for every million people," the project said on Twitter.
In Nebraska, health officials say a wave of infections has put pressure on hospitals across the state.
Medical directors of three major hospital systems said Monday that COVID-19 hospitalizations increased 91% in the Omaha metropolitan area between October 17 and October 31.
Now the hospital's capacity and staff are approaching their limits, hospital officials said.
"We have seen a doubling of COVID-positive patients in recent weeks," said Dr. Cary Ward, CHI Health Chief Medical Officer.
"There is no doubt that if this trend continues, not only our hospitals, but all hospitals in the state could be at full throttle."
In Indiana, hospitalizations hit a record Monday, with more than 1,800 patients treated for COVID-19.
The state's previous record was on April 13, when about 1,799 people were hospitalized.
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They estimate 2,250 deaths per day for January in the US 0:49
Covid-19, third leading cause of death in Arkansas
And in Arkansas, the governor announced Tuesday that covid-19 was the third leading cause of death in the state, second only to cancer and heart attacks.
"It is a deadly virus that kills people," said Governor Asa Hutchinson.
"We want to make sure everyone understands the seriousness."
And across the state, more than 660 people remain hospitalized, he added.
In the northeast and central areas of the state, bed capacity is "slim," Bo Ryall, president and CEO of the Arkansas Hospital Association, said Tuesday.
Approximately 10% of occupied beds have COVID-19 patients, 26% of occupied ICU beds have COVID-19 patients, while 31% of ventilators are used by COVID-19 patients in "some one of the highest numbers we've seen in those areas, ”Ryall said.
“If we continue to see these cases increase, in turn, we will increase hospitalizations and the stress will be felt in the health care system.
Hospitals are exhausted in some areas and we ask you to re-adhere to security measures, ”said Ryall.
NIH Director: Masks Could Save 130,000 Lives By March
Masks, a powerful tool that doctors and public health officials have endorsed in the battle against the virus, can help save tens of thousands of lives in the coming months, a leading expert emphasized this week.
More than 130,000 lives could be saved in the United States if the majority of Americans chose to wear masks, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, wrote in a blog post Tuesday.
Collins cites data from the IHME modeling team, which predicts the drastic decline in the country's projected death toll if 95% of Americans wore masks.
"The important thing here is not the precise numbers," wrote Francis.
"It is realizing that, in any scenario, this pandemic is far from over, and together we have the power to shape what happens next."
It's an argument that's been made multiple times in recent months by officials across the country: If Americans were to wear face covers, socially distance themselves, avoid crowds, and wash their hands regularly, those measures could be almost as powerful like locks to help slow the spread of the virus.
"Think of it the same way you think of putting on a seat belt, a minor detail that can save lives," wrote Collins.
“I am careful to wear a mask outside my home every time I am away from home.
But ultimately, saving lives and livelihoods as we approach these winter months will require a collective effort from all of us.
CNN's Claudia Dominguez, Joe Sutton, and Rebekah Riess contributed to this report.
covid-19 2020 United States elections