US coronavirus cases make up 20 per cent of global infections

The US accounts for a concerning amount of the world’s new virus cases – despite making up only 4.3 per cent of the population.

The head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned COVID-19 cases are rising exponentially. And despite only making up 4.3 per cent of the world’s population, the United States accounts for a concerning portion of all new infections – with one age group in particular at fault.

New cases of coronavirus – which has infected as many as 2.3 million Americans and killed more than 120,350 – continued to surge over the weekend in 22 of the nation’s states, with some reporting their largest single-day increases yet.

Yesterday, America’s new cases made up for 20 per cent of the world’s.

And in the south and west, where the majority of the new infections are stemming from, officials say it’s young people, ignoring social distancing measures, who are testing positive.

“With younger age of recent infections in at least some places such as Florida, expect a lower death rate in this wave … until the 20-40 year olds who are infected today go on to infect others,” former director of the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr Tom Frieden, wrote on Twitter.

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With younger age of recent infections in at least some places such as Florida, expect a lower death rate in this wave ... until the 20-40 year olds who are infected today go on to infect others.... https://t.co/MGM8z8x5j0

— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) June 21, 2020

The former CDC director says it’s young people who are making up the majority of the US new coronavirus cases. Picture: Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP

America’s top infectious disease expert, Anthony Fauci, has also warned of what’s to come as the infections among the nation’s youth surge.

“They get infected first, then they come home, and then they infect the older people. The older people get the complications, and then they go to the hospital,” Dr Fauci said.

“The death rate always lags several weeks behind the infection rate.”

The pandemic is showing no sign of weakening in the US, head of the Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, Michael Osterholm, told NBC.

“I think this is more like a forest fire. I don’t think that this is going to slow down,” he said.

“I think that wherever there’s wood to burn, this fire’s going to burn – and right now we have a lot of susceptible people. Right now, I don’t see this slowing down through the summer or into the fall. I don’t think we’re going to see one, two and three waves. I think we’re going to just see one very, very difficult forest fire of cases.”

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The US accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s new coronavirus cases – but President Donald Trump maintains it’s because they’re doing ‘too good a job’ at testing. Picture: Nicholas Kamm/AFP

One person who seems to believe America is in the clear is President Donald Trump, who made fresh claims today that the US has the highest number of infections in the world because health authorities have done “too good a job” on testing for cases of the virus.

The President revealed at his re-election rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma over the weekend that he told officials to “slow the testing down, please” for the “Kung flu” – bringing rebukes from authorities and health officials.

“This is a real spike. This is a real trajectory,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said at a conference today, challenging comments that a spike in Florida’s cases could be attributed to increased testing.

“People can argue about the number of positives, being related to more testing, but they can’t argue with the percentage at now over 10 per cent, which is what the CDC says tells you you have too much virus in your community.”

While White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany insisted any suggestion that testing has been curtailed was made “in jest”, in a TV interview today Trump failed to give a clear answer as to whether he did give the order.

“If (testing) did slow down, frankly, I think we’re way ahead of ourselves if you want to know the truth,” he said.

“We’ve done too good a job.”

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Health officials have said that testing in the US early on was insufficient for optimal containment.

In early March, Dr Fauci testified that the nation’s testing system was “not really geared to what we need right now” and added, “it is a failing. Let’s admit it.”

– With AP