Coronavirus: US map shows terrifying extent of COVID spread

A map of the US has shown exactly how bad the COVID-19 situation is, with every state but one now overrun by new infections.

More than eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise in infections across the US is showing no signs of slowing down, with fears the country could see a fresh surge in cases at the end of the year.

On Sunday, the US surpassed 12 million coronavirus cases, with the country also recording more than 257,000 deaths.

A group of public health and crisis experts have joined forces to create a website called CovidExitStrategy.org to track each state’s “progress towards a new normal”.

An unsettling map of the US created with current COVID data shows every single state except one is experiencing an “uncontrolled spread” of the virus.

RELATED: Follow our live coronavirus updates

The US has been completely overrun by the COVID-19 virus. Picture: covidexitstrategy.org

RELATED: Virus killing one person every eight seconds

Hawaii is the only state not at this level, instead it is listed as “caution warranted”, warning levels below the rest of the country.

The rate of new infections has dramatically increased, with it taking the US just six days to get from 11 million cases to 12 million cases.

Previously, it took eight days to get from 10 million to 11 million infections and before that it took 10 days to get from 9 million to 10 million cases.

The country is now recording more than 100,000 new infections each day and the daily death count is hovering between 1000 and 2000 in recent days.

Grim pictures have shown the reality of the pandemic in the US, with some of the country’s morgues overflowing due to the influx of bodies.

The photos show bodies that won’t fit in morgues piled into the back of freezer trucks in El Paso, Texas.

The situation is so dire the National Guard has been deployed to the area and inmates from nearby prisons have been tasked with moving bodies to mobile morgues.

RELATED: ‘More people may die’: Biden slams Trump

Bodies wrapped in plastic line the walls inside a refrigerated trailer used as a mobile morgue by the El Paso County Medical Examiner's office. Picture: Justin Hamel/AFP

Despite COVID-19 still running rampant across the country, many Americans are refusing to give up their holiday plans in order to help slow the spread.

US government’s health protection agency has for the first time called on Americans not to travel for Thanksgiving, which is on Thursday, stopping just short of issuing an outright ban on travel.

“We’re alarmed with the exponential increase in cases, hospitalisations, and deaths,” Centers for Disease Control official Henry Walke said.

It is tradition for many families to gather together on this holiday and share a meal, with many extended family members travelling from across the country to be together.

The majority of state governors have urged citizens not to visit their extended families this year and risk infecting their loved ones and adding to the spread of the virus.

Infectious disease expert, Dr Anthony Fauci, sought to lead by example by announcing that his three adult daughters would not be visiting him for Thanksgiving this year.

He said he would celebrate the holiday alone with his wife, contenting himself with “a glass of wine” while interacting with his children over Zoom.

Other experts have added their voices to the growing calls for Americans to take the pandemic seriously.

“It’s not too late to change your plans,” Meghan McGinty, an expert in disaster prevention at Johns Hopkins University, said on Monday.

“Thanksgiving will be a pivotal moment in the control of the pandemic. If we don’t limit our celebration to just our households, we will undoubtably see cases and hospitalisations rise after Thanksgiving.”

But it appears these pleas may have fallen on deaf ears, with images of crowded airports already popping up online over the weekend, fuelling concerns the country could see an explosion of new cases in December.

The Transportation Security Administration said it was the “busiest weekend” US airports have seen since the start of the pandemic, with more than three million passengers passing through terminals across the country.

I'm an ER doctor in Arizona and our hospitals are being overwhelmed with COVID19. 7.4 million people & only 174 ICU beds left with healthcare workers calling out sick. Our pleas for help have fallen on selfish deaf ears - this is Phoenix airport @dougduceypic.twitter.com/7iLbngxHNp

— Cleavon MD (@Cleavon_MD) November 21, 2020

Since March, when COVID-19 cases started to rise across the US, each holiday that has passed has triggered outbreaks across the country.

Health officials previously noted there were spikes in infections shortly after July 4, Labour Day in September and Halloween in October

It isn’t just the US that holds concerns around holiday periods, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) urging people to avoid family gatherings for Christmas this year.

The organisation said it was down to governments to give explicit directions about Christmas celebrations but said avoiding traditional events and gatherings would be the “safest bet”.

Speaking during a virtual media briefing, WHO’s COVID-19 technical lead, Maria Van Kerkhove, said there were no “zero risk” options when visiting family members for Christmas.

“This is incredibly difficult because especially during holidays … we really want to be with family but in some situations, the difficult decision not to have that family gathering is the safest bet,” she said.

“Even if you can’t celebrate together this year, you can find ways to celebrate when this is all over.”

– With AFP