As the coronavirus pandemic has advanced across the U.S. and Europe, some regions are scrambling to set up additional hospital beds and replenish much needed medical supplies.
In Italy, the death toll of 4,825 has surpassed the number of deaths in China. Italy announced its biggest daily increase of infections which rose by over 6,000 with nearly 800 deaths from the virus that causes COVID-19.
Many states in the U.S. have ordered its citizens to stay indoors. Andrew Cuomo, New York Gov., said the government is “literally scouring the globe looking for medical supplies.” Health care workers all across the country are seeking donations of protective equipment. Even homemade face masks are being made to accommodate the staff at a Detroit hospital.
Negotiators from Congress and the White House in Washington are resuming top-level talks on a ballooning $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package.
President Trump continues to strike a confident tone on the nation’s ability to defeat this pandemic despite health leaders nationwide saying that the U.S. is nowhere near the peak of the outbreak.
Deaths have been reported in more than 30 American states and the contagion is starting to be felt even in rural areas, including places that resisted drastic shutdown measures. Confirmed cases worldwide are now more than 300,000, according to running tally by Johns Hopkins University.
For most people, the coronavirus feels like a bad cold and causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For others, such as the elderly and people with preexisting health problems, it can cause much more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people will recover from the virus with mild illness recovery being in about two weeks, according to the World Health Organization. While those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to fully recover.
