CDC projects 534,000 deaths by the end of February 0:46
(CNN) -
The death toll from coronavirus in the United States could reach 534,000 by February 27, according to a joint forecast by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which would be equivalent to about one death per minute in the last year.
The United States reported the first death from covid-19 on February 29 of last year, although at least two previous deaths from the virus were later discovered and counted.
Wednesday's forecast, which would add about 83,000 deaths to the current tally of more than 450,800, comes as health experts urge a faster pace for vaccines to get ahead of the more communicable variants, which they fear could increase cases. .
LOOK: There would be up to 534,000 deaths from covid-19 in the US by February 27, according to the CDC projection
The best way to prevent the variants from dominating the pandemic is to prevent replication of the virus through rapid vaccination and health measures to prevent spread, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The reason why you don't have to wait to get vaccinated 1:49
Currently, the United States is not vaccinating at a fast enough rate to stay ahead of the variants, he said, but "we are getting better and better," Fauci told NBC News on Wednesday.
The number of variants in the US and how quickly they spread can be difficult for researchers to track due to the amount of genetic sequencing needed across the country, according to the New York City Health Advisor. , Jay Varma.
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"I think the safest thing is that we plan on the assumption that there are many more cases than variants of the ones that we know about," said Varma.
LOOK: The rate of vaccination increases in the US, as well as the concern about the variants of covid-19
Given the unknowns about the variants and the time it will take for the US to reach a herd immunity threshold with vaccines, this is not the time to give up masks, Dr. Ricardo Franco, from the AIDS Research Center of the College.
Alabama in Birmingham said.
"This game is at halftime," Franco said.
"We have to keep pushing and not give the virus a chance to play well in the second half."
deaths covid-19 February
