There Are 10 Million Coronavirus Cases Worldwide. The U.S. Accounts For 25% Of Them.

TOPLINE

The coronavirus pandemic hit a grim milestone Sunday morning, reaching 10 million confirmed cases worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, with the U.S. accounting for 25% of those cases—and no slowdown of infections in sight.

KEY FACTS

Crucial quote

“We are facing a serious problem,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, a leading member of the White House coronavirus task force, on Saturday at the group’s first press briefing in two months. “You have an individual responsibility to yourself, but you have a societal responsibility because if we want to end this outbreak, really end it… we’ve got to realize that we are part of the process.”

Big number

Over 125. That’s how many coronavirus vaccines are in development, according to a tracker maintained by the New York Times. 

Key background

The coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, it has spread worldwide, affecting every continent except Antarctica. In addition to the U.S., countries like Brazil, Russia, India and the U.K. have seen soaring case loads. Some countries have struggled to maintain enough hospital beds, protective gear and medical equipment, such as ventilators, to keep up with the number of patients arriving through their doors. No treatment or vaccine exists for Covid-19, although some evidence suggests the antiviral remdesivir shortens recovery time for seriously ill patients. Scientists are mostly optimistic that a vaccine could be found by 2021, and the Trump administration has funded a project called Operation Warp Speed to speed up the process, which typically takes 10 to 15 years. 

What to watch for

The Trump administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to scrap the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature healthcare legislation (and referred to as Obamacare). In their brief, the Trump administration argued that Obamacare is unconstitutional after the court in 2017 scrapped the individual mandate, while requiring that all Americans have access to the healthcare exchange. The court is likely to hear oral arguments around November, when voters go to the polls for the presidential election. If the court accepts the Trump administration’s challenge, 23 million Americans could lose their health insurance during the coronavirus public health crisis. 

Further reading

Coronavirus Cases Pass 10 Million Globally (Wall Street Journal)

Ten Times More People Have Covid-19 Antibodies Than Are Diagnosed, CDC Reports (Forbes)

How — and When — Can the Coronavirus Vaccine Become a Reality? (ProPublica)

Coronavirus contact tracing is ‘not going well,’ Dr. Fauci says, U.S. still needs more testing (CNBC)

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