U.S. mourns half a million lives lost to coronavirus

[webfact]

A day that will live in infamy: U.S. crosses 500,000th COVID-19 death

By Maria Caspani and Anurag Maan

 

FILE PHOTO: Lila Blanks holds the casket of her husband, Gregory Blanks, 50, who died of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ahead of his funeral in San Felipe, Texas, U.S., January 26, 2021. REUTERS/Callaghan O'Hare/File Photo

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States on Monday crossed the staggering milestone of 500,000 COVID-19 deaths just over a year since the coronavirus pandemic claimed its first known victim in Santa Clara County, California.

 

The country had recorded more than 28 million COVID-19 cases and 500,054 lives lost as of Monday afternoon, according to a Reuters tally of public health data, although daily cases and hospitalizations have fallen to the lowest level since before the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

 

About 19% of total global coronavirus deaths have occurred in the United States, an outsized figure given that the nation accounts for just 4% of the world's population.

 

"These numbers are stunning," Dr. Anthony Fauci, a top infectious disease adviser to President Joe Biden told ABC News' "Good Morning America" program. "If you look back historically, we've done worse than almost any other country and we're a highly developed, rich country."

 

The country's poor performance reflects the lack of a unified, national response last year, when the administration of former President Donald Trump mostly left states to their own devices in tackling the greatest public health crisis in a century, with the president often in conflict with his own health experts.

 

Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are set to commemorate the huge loss of life due to COVID-19 later on Monday during an event at the White House that will include a speech by the president, a moment of silence and a candle lighting ceremony.

 

The grim milestone comes about a year after the high contagious respiratory illness upended American life. This report produced by Zachary Goelman.

 

Biden will also order that U.S. flags on federal property be lowered to half staff for five days, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters.

 

The National Cathedral in Washington will also toll its bells 500 times on Monday evening to honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in a livestream event, according to a notice on its website.

 

In 2020, the virus has taken a full year off the average life expectancy in the United States, the biggest decline since World War Two.

Sweeping through the country at the beginning of last year, the U.S. epidemic had claimed its first 100,000 lives by May.

 

The death toll doubled by September as the virus ebbed and surged during the summer months.

 

(Graphic: U.S. COVID-19 deaths per season - https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/azgvoezmbvd/)

 

Pandemic-weary Americans, like so many around the world, grappled with the mountain of loss brought by COVID-19 as health experts warned of yet another coronavirus resurgence during the upcoming fall and winter months.

 

Americans lost mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, brothers, sisters and friends to the virus. For many, the grief was amplified by the inability to see loved ones in hospitals or nursing homes and by the physical distancing imposed by authorities to curb the virus spread.

 

By December, the death toll had reached 300,000 as the United States entered a deadly post-holiday season that would claim 230,000 lives in the span of less than three months.

 

With numbers that made the appalling toll early in the pandemic pale by comparison, deaths recorded between December and February accounted for 46% of all U.S. COVID-19 fatalities, even as vaccines finally became available and a monumental effort to inoculate the American public got underway.

 

Despite the grim milestone, the virus appears to have loosened its grip as COVID-19 cases in United States fell for the sixth consecutive week. However, health experts have warned that coronavirus variants initially discovered in Britain, South Africa and Brazil could unleash another wave that threatens to reverse the recent positive trends.

 

Fauci cautioned against complacency and urged Americans to continue public health measures such as wearing masks, physical distancing and avoiding crowds while officials race to inoculate the population, particularly with these more contagious new variants circulating.

"We've got be really careful and not just say 'OK we're finished now, we're through it," he told ABC.

 

(Reporting by Maria Caspani in New York and Anurag Maan in Bengaluru and Susan Heavey in Washington; Writing by Maria Caspani; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Lisa Shumaker)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-23

 

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[pegman]

 Nothing illustrates the truism of the expression "elections have consequences" more than what America  has experienced with this tragedy. 

[Tug]

Just to think that trump couldn’t bring his miserable sielf to acknowledge let alone mourn 500,000 dead boggles my mind that friends imo is an epic dereliction of duty. kudos Joe thanks for taking on trying to fix trumps mess it’s a tall order much much bigger than the mess bush jr left Obama 

[OneMoreFarang]

Joe Biden: “We must end the politics of misinformation.”

 

Now who did he have in mind when he said those words?

I hope one day all Americans will realize that what happened didn't have to happen. It was their chosen leader who f$#$%$ it up.

[onthedarkside]

A post with a 2018 news report, long before the emergence of the coronavirus, has been removed as off-topic and misleading.

 

[youreavinalaff]

I can't help thinking the deaths would have been high regardless of the politics.

 

Many articles have been written over the past year about how people just ignore advice on masks, lockdowns, social distancing, etc.

 

Much the same as in UK.

 

Countries that generally are ruled with more of an iron fist, where the population are generally wary of their rulers and law enforcement, seem to be the ones with lower infection and death rates.

 

There are exceptions but it seems there is a trend there. N Korea and China being good examples. Thailand being another.

[Morty T]

In the US this story will have a shelf life of 1-2 days. With the Democrats in power negative news stories are not tolerated. If Trump was still president there would be those counters clicking away to the million mark. 

[stevenl]

29 minutes ago, Morty T said:

In the US this story will have a shelf life of 1-2 days. With the Democrats in power negative news stories are not tolerated. If Trump was still president there would be those counters clicking away to the million mark. 

That's the difference, with Trump those counters would have reached the million mark, now there is good hope.

[pegman]

7 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

I can't help thinking the deaths would have been high regardless of the politics.

 

Many articles have been written over the past year about how people just ignore advice on masks, lockdowns, social distancing, etc.

 

Much the same as in UK.

 

Countries that generally are ruled with more of an iron fist, where the population are generally wary of their rulers and law enforcement, seem to be the ones with lower infection and death rates.

 

There are exceptions but it seems there is a trend there. N Korea and China being good examples. Thailand being another.

Nope, I live 60 miles from the USA and can say we were horrified by the Americans lax approach dealing with the COVID. Our politicians made mistakes and we have our share of Freedumbers and Covidiots but overall we pretty much stuck with what the experts recommended. We also have socialized healthcare which is better equipped to deal with such a crisis. As a result our death rate per cap is much, much lower. As for the UK Boris played down the virus untill he caught it himself. By that time it was running wild. 

[rosst]

22 hours ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Joe Biden: “We must end the politics of misinformation.”

 

Now who did he have in mind when he said those words?

I hope one day all Americans will realize that what happened didn't have to happen. It was their chosen leader who f$#$%$ it up.

As a distant observer it appears to me that Americans know all their rights and none of their responsibilities. 

It appears blindingly obvious that communities who accept responsibility for the safety of EACH OTHER stayed home and wore masks and didn't attend rallies or "protests" the BLM word for anarchy and a criminal spree of damage on behalf of a thug. 

The result appears to reflect the cause. 

[Jeffr2]

14 hours ago, youreavinalaff said:

I can't help thinking the deaths would have been high regardless of the politics.

 

Many articles have been written over the past year about how people just ignore advice on masks, lockdowns, social distancing, etc.

 

Much the same as in UK.

 

Countries that generally are ruled with more of an iron fist, where the population are generally wary of their rulers and law enforcement, seem to be the ones with lower infection and death rates.

 

There are exceptions but it seems there is a trend there. N Korea and China being good examples. Thailand being another.

The president used his bully pulpit to make wearing masks political. He lied about the severity of the virus. Said it would magically disappear. Ignored social distancing. Held large rallies with no masks. Etc, etc, etc.

 

The US has the worst record in the world. All due to a lousy leader. Kinda the same thing happened in the UK at first.

 

New Zealand  did a great job. They have a great leader.

 

The blame in the US lies with Trump and his corrupt enablers in government.

[Thingamabob]

Not so good, but not as bad as several other similar northern economies/ countries.

[Jeffr2]

52 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Not so good, but not as bad as several other similar northern economies/ countries.

Name one. This should be interesting....

[youreavinalaff]

15 hours ago, pegman said:

Nope, I live 60 miles from the USA and can say we were horrified by the Americans lax approach dealing with the COVID. Our politicians made mistakes and we have our share of Freedumbers and Covidiots but overall we pretty much stuck with what the experts recommended. We also have socialized healthcare which is better equipped to deal with such a crisis. As a result our death rate per cap is much, much lower. As for the UK Boris played down the virus untill he caught it himself. By that time it was running wild. 

That is why I suggested there were some exceptions.

[youreavinalaff]

9 hours ago, Jeffr2 said:

The US has the worst record in the world. All due to a lousy leader. Kinda the same thing happened in the UK at first.

BLM? I doubt they are Trump supporters in US or Boris supporters in UK.

 

Anti Brexit supporters? Certainly not Boris supporters in UK.

 

Anti lockdown supporters? Certainly not Boris supporters.

 

Anti Trump supporters? That does not need explaining.

 

Many rallies and marches since Covid19 started. Many can not be blamed on the leaders of the countries.

[placeholder]

17 hours ago, Morty T said:

In the US this story will have a shelf life of 1-2 days. With the Democrats in power negative news stories are not tolerated. If Trump was still president there would be those counters clicking away to the million mark. 

We heard the same sort of nonsense from Trump supporters before the election. They claimed that once the election was over, the pandemic would disappear from the news. How has that panned out? And guest what, those clickers are still clicking away despite your apparent belief that they have been retired.

[Hi from France]

in Europe AstraZeneca announced that they again will be un

 

first : the EU did a bad job with the contract https://www.politico.eu/article/the-key-differences-between-the-eu-and-uk-astrazeneca-contracts/

 

second AstraZeneca is again and again delivering the UK first and leaving us dry

 

Quote

 A spokesman for the British-Swedish drugs group said it was “working to increase productivity in its EU supply chain” and would use its “global capability in order to achieve delivery of 180 million doses to the EU in the second quarter”.

 

“Approximately half of the expected volume is due to come from the EU supply chain” while the remainder would come from its international supply network, he added.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2021/feb/24/coronavirus-live-news-who-says-global-deaths-down-20-since-last-week-cases-declining-for-six-straight-weeks?page=with:block-603642998f087933c5fdbaab

 

 

 

 

after the 30M doses missing earlier this year, it seems we will get 90M doses instead of 180M (though there might be more from other productions sites outside the EU)

 

 

another article

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/24/astrazeneca-expected-to-miss-eu-covid-vaccine-supply-target-by-half-in-second-quarter-report

 

Quote

The EU official, who is directly involved in talks with the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker, said the company had told the bloc during internal meetings that it “would deliver less than 90m doses in the second quarter”.

 

Quote

AstraZeneca’s contract with the EU, which was leaked last week, showed the company had committed to delivering 180m doses to the 27-nation bloc in the second quarter.

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by Hi from France

[impulse]

1 hour ago, placeholder said:

We heard the same sort of nonsense from Trump supporters before the election. They claimed that once the election was over, the pandemic would disappear from the news. How has that panned out? And guest what, those clickers are still clicking away despite your apparent belief that they have been retired.

 

Covid didn't disappear, but the Draconian shut down rules sure did in several Dem run areas...  Chicago, NYC and California come to mind. 

 

Seems they finally saw the light once Biden was safely ensconced.

 

[placeholder]

38 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Covid didn't disappear, but the Draconian shut down rules sure did in several Dem run areas...  Chicago, NYC and California come to mind. 

 

Seems they finally saw the light once Biden was safely ensconced.

 

Nonsense. The Trump supporter predictions were that the rules would disappear right after the election. Not only wasn't that the case, not only weren't they relaxed,  but in the wake of the Thanksgiving and Xmas holiday pandemic boost, rules were actually made more stringent. Only recently were those strengthened rules relaxed.

[impulse]

16 minutes ago, placeholder said:

Nonsense. The Trump supporter predictions were that the rules would disappear right after the election. Not only wasn't that the case, not only weren't they relaxed,  but in the wake of the Thanksgiving and Xmas holiday pandemic boost, rules were actually made more stringent. Only recently were those strengthened rules relaxed.

 

Here's Chicago, 11 days after Biden was safely ensconced.  I'll let you do your own googling over NY and CA.  Though I must admit that CA loosened up in response to a recall effort aimed at the gub'ner, and it may have just been coincidental that they loosened up right after the inauguration.  If you believe in coincidences...

 

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/reopening-chicago.html

 

They didn't loosen up right after the election.  They waited until the inauguration, for obvious reasons related to fortifying the election and its results.

 

Edited February 24, 2021 by impulse

[Tug]

16 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

Here's Chicago, 11 days after Biden was safely ensconced.  I'll let you do your own googling over NY and CA.  Though I must admit that CA loosened up in response to a recall effort aimed at the gub'ner, and it may have just been coincidental that they loosened up right after the inauguration.  If you believe in coincidences...

 

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/reopening-chicago.html

 

They didn't loosen up right after the election.  They waited until the inauguration, for obvious reasons related to fortifying the election and its results.

 

Joe Biden was elected not ensconced and keep in mind trumps failed response to the pandemic has resulted in more American deaths in one year than our enemies managed to inflect in one century that sir is an epic failure we are starting to (hopefully) turn things around here so cautiously easing restrictions is sensible please everyone keep your guard up follow safe protocols and let’s get this debacle behind us

[placeholder]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Here's Chicago, 11 days after Biden was safely ensconced.  I'll let you do your own googling over NY and CA.  Though I must admit that CA loosened up in response to a recall effort aimed at the gub'ner, and it may have just been coincidental that they loosened up right after the inauguration.  If you believe in coincidences...

 

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/reopening-chicago.html

 

They didn't loosen up right after the election.  They waited until the inauguration, for obvious reasons related to fortifying the election and its results.

 

Only someone who believed that there was any basis to Trump's claim of a stolen election and that Biden's win was not a sure thing within a few days after f Nov 3 would claim that the election results needed fortifying. Give up that fantasy, already. Or at the very least, please cease from regurgitating it.

[candide]

1 hour ago, impulse said:

 

Here's Chicago, 11 days after Biden was safely ensconced.  I'll let you do your own googling over NY and CA.  Though I must admit that CA loosened up in response to a recall effort aimed at the gub'ner, and it may have just been coincidental that they loosened up right after the inauguration.  If you believe in coincidences...

 

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/covid-19/home/reopening-chicago.html

 

They didn't loosen up right after the election.  They waited until the inauguration, for obvious reasons related to fortifying the election and its results.

 

Lol! They waited for a more obvious reason than your lame conspiracy theory. They waited that the number of cases was low enough.

[Tug]

You are 100% correct in this sense no more super spreader events masks mandated were the feds have control reacting on facts and science so now that we are reacting in the opposite way of the dynamics under the previous administration why yes it is good really really good Please keep in mind the dynamics of the previous administration cost the lives of more Americans than the last 2 world wars 2 really nasty(police actions) Korea Vietnam and a host of other nasty conflicts all in the space of 1 year sooo yup we are reacting in the opposite.my apologies if I seem a bit harsh but I don’t take kindly to 500,000 American dead

Edited February 25, 2021 by onthedarkside
quote of hidden post removed

[JeffersLos]

The politics aside it's not surprising.

 

For so many are arrogant, ignorant, self-important and under-educated.

 

 

500,000 dead, wasn't there a multi-billion $  war fought on 3,000 dead?

 

 

 

 

[JeffersLos]

12 minutes ago, Tug said:

I don’t take kindly to 500,000 American dead

 

Not many are those that wore masks, stuck to basic sanitation procedures, and self-isolated. ???? 

[Tug]

1 hour ago, JeffersLos said:

 

Not many are those that wore masks, stuck to basic sanitation procedures, and self-isolated. ???? 

Unfortunately that isent quite true one of my tenants a single mom nurse got it she survived but got really really sick she followed all safety protocols to a (t) she dident work in the covid ward btw lots of folks get sick that do follow safety protocols at least as a nation we have a rational president following basic science and facts that doesent let his (agenda) get in the way of doing the right thing to protect the health of the American people 

[onthedarkside]

A trolling post with a disallowed social media video has been removed, along with several replies.

 

[Solinvictus]

Trump 2024 That's all I have to say about this! Many fine people choose to wear masks. It's a choice we all must take. Just look at Karen over there, she cut a circle in her mask. They love it! It's wonderful.

[gargamon]

36 minutes ago, Solinvictus said:

Trump 2024 That's all I have to say about this!

The Trump Pandemic will be over shortly. As for Trump 2024, he will be either dead or in jail. A morbidly obese 78 year old in 2024 living on a diet of junk food...