US averages 700,000 new COVID-19 cases per day -Fauci

On Jan 10, 2022

The USA is now averaging more than 700,000 new Omicron coronavirus cases per day.

This analysis was disclosed by analysis Johns Hopkins University data shows on Monday.

The country reported about 4.91 million cases in the week ending Saturday. That’s more cases in seven days than in April, May, June and July 2021 combined. At the latest pace, eight Americans are testing positive every second. Each of the last five days ranks in the top five of the entire pandemic for highest case counts.

“I would not be surprised at all if we go over a million cases per day,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the president’s chief medical adviser, told News 4 New York in an interview. For perspective, at one point in June the U.S. average daily caseload ovIer a week was just above 11,000.”

And while the prevalent omicron variant is milder on a per-case basis, fast-swelling numbers of new cases are burdening hospitals. A federal report released Saturday shows about 138,000 COVID-19 patients in hospital beds, up 32% from the previous week.

But Fauci told the TV station the dismal numbers could start to decline by month’s end.

“I can’t predict accurately, because no one can. But I would hope that by the time we get to the fourth week in January … that we will start to see this coming down,” Fauci said.

Okwuego/USA Today