US coronavirus cases show virus is spreading at alarming speed

The United States has become the first country to record four million coronavirus infections as the outbreak picks up speed.

The United States’ total number of infections has passed four million. It’s the first country in the world to record that number.

It comes as the country registered 76,570 new coronavirus cases in the previous 24 hours on Thursday (US time).

The US, which is the world’s hardest-hit, also registered a total of 1225 more deaths, the Baltimore-based university’s real-time tracker indicated.

That brings the country to a total of 4,032,430 infections, which have resulted in 144,167 fatalities.

The US has seen a coronavirus surge, particularly in southern and western states, as Texas, California, Alabama, Idaho and Florida all announced record one-day death tolls.

Nevertheless, the rate of new cases is now showing signs of easing off in some of the worst-hit zones.

The US reached the three-million case milestone about two weeks ago on July 8.

Coronavirus infections around the world. Picture: Worldometers

WORRYING NEW RECORD

The US instead hurtling towards a worrying COVID-19 record — a million new cases in just over two weeks.

The spread of the virus is picking up speed, with the United States having the dubious honour of being the country with the most confirmed cases and deaths.

After the US reported its first coronavirus case on January 21 it took 99 days for the country to have a million confirmed cases, CNN reports.

From there it took 43 days for the US to reach two million, and then by July 8, there were three million Americans diagnosed with COVID-19.

As of today John Hopkins University is reporting that the United States is sitting on 3.97 million confirmed coronavirus cases, meaning the country will have four million cases just over two weeks after hitting its last million milestone.

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In states like Texas businesses have been allowed to reopen. Picture: VALERIE MACON / AFP.

POSITIVE TEST RESULTS SPIKE

On Wednesday alone there were 68,706 new cases and 1152 deaths, with cases surging in Florida, Arizona, Georgia, California and Texas.

There are also now higher rates of Americans being tested for coronavirus returning positive results.

In May, Florida was on average returning 35 positive results per 1000 tests in contrast with this month, where it has had 105 positive results per 1000 tests done.

California, the first state to shutdown when the pandemic began, is battling a second wave of cases after reopening bars and indoor restaurants.

Indoor bars and restaurants were forced to close again this month, with California now having the most confirmed cases of any US state.

Los Angeles County health director Barbara Ferrer coronavirus was becoming a leading cause of death there.

“It’s killing more people than Alzheimer’s disease, other kinds of heart disease, stroke and COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease),” she said.

RELATED: Top doctors ‘begs’ Americans to wear masks

In Florida the number of positive test results have almost tripled. Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP.

A world map showing the countries worst impacted by coronavirus. Picture: Worldometers

In Florida one mayor has said the state is at “breaking point” as a surge in cases means there are not enough hospital beds.

“It’s at breaking point now, we’re at a critical stage,” Mayor Carlos Hernandez of Hialeah, Florida, said.

“State hospitals are at full capacity. I spoke to two or three large hospitals in our city late last night. Two of them have cancelled non-emergency surgeries, and they’re really, really at the point – it’s a breaking point.”

Meanwhile in Texas one hospital doctor said coronavirus cases had hit “like a tsunami” and was at risk of overwhelming the health system.

A United States navy medical unit has been deployed to Texas, where the state has also set aside 14 refrigerated trucks to use as morgues.

There are also fears that the real number of Americans with coronavirus could be much higher than reported cases.

A new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found infection rates could be six to 24 times higher in some areas.

Mr Trump warned that the coronavirus crisis in the US is likely to ‘get worse before it gets better’. Picture: TIM WATSON/AFP.

Pfizer and German biotechnology firm BioNTech have agreed to supply the U.S. government with 100 million doses of coronavirus vaccine. Picture: Jeenah Moon/Getty Images/AFP.

VACCINE HOPES

According to US President Donald Trump the country has conducted more than 50 million coronavirus tests.

Mr Trump on Tuesday warned that the pandemic was likely to get worse before it gets better but repeated his claim that the pandemic would somehow “disappear”.

The US president has been a critic of lockdown measures and has argued in favour of reopening the economy even as death tolls have climbed.

The production of a vaccine is now being seen as key to ensuring a return to something close to normality.

More than 200 candidate drugs are being developed, with 23 having progressed to clinical trials.

The United States has agreed to pay almost $2.8 billion for 100 million doses of a potential vaccine being developed by German firm BioNTech and US giant Pfizer.

Another leading candidate, developed in part by pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, registered promising results from clinical trials this week.

But the firm’s chief said on Tuesday a global rollout was not imminent. “We hope to be able to produce a vaccine by the end of the year … perhaps a little earlier if all goes well,” said Pascal Soriot.

– With AFP