More People Died From Covid-19 In The U.S. On Wednesday Than During 9/11 Attacks

Topline

More than 3,000 people in the U.S. who had coronavirus died on Wednesday, the highest number in a single day seen so far in the pandemic both nationwide and anywhere else in the world, as U.S. regulators are set to approve a Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use in the coming days.

Key Facts

Big Number

289,431. That’s how many people have died in the U.S. after catching Covid-19, the most anywhere in the world.

What To Watch For

An advisory panel will meet on Thursday to discuss U.S. approval for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is shown to be 95% effective at preventing infections and is already approved for emergency use in the U.K. and Canada. Emergency use approval from the Food and Drug Administration could come as soon as Friday. According to Health and Human Services secretary Alex Azar, the wider population could start to be vaccinated as early as February, he said on Wednesday.

Key Background

The coronavirus pandemic has shown no sign of abating in the U.S., with new infections skyrocketing over the past month as the holiday season has got underway. Despite health officials warning Americans against travelling during the Thanksgiving period to avoid a fresh wave of infections, with 10 million people travelling by air over the Thanksgiving week, the highest number of travellers since March. Meanwhile, top infectious disease officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, has warned that the colder months ahead could spell worse infection rates as more people gather indoors, particularly over Christmas.

Tangent

Outgoing President Donald Trump has appeared to show little public interest in the worsening crisis, giving less time delivering public messaging on the virus and more voice to post-election legal battles since his loss to President-elect Joe Biden was cemented. Biden, on the other hand, has already assembled his own coronavirus taskforce and pledged to make mask-wearing compulsory where he can in his first 100 days. Meanwhile, after a deadlock, Congress appears to be nearing a further $908 billion stimulus deal in the coming days.

Further Reading

California Shatters National Record (Again) With Over 30,000 New Covid Cases In 1 Day (Forbes)

Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine faces last hurdle before US decision (AP)

HHS Secretary Alex Azar Expedites General Population Vaccine Projections Amid Concern US Doesn’t Have Enough Doses (Forbes)

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