U.S. Hits New Coronavirus Record With More Than 88,500 New Cases

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A medical assistant holds a swab after testing a man on Wednesday at the new COVID-19 testing facility at Boston Logan International Airport.

Elise Amendola/AP

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Elise Amendola/AP

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Despite the new rise in cases, U.S. deaths from COVID-19 are markedly lower than the tragic heights of the spring and summer. But it’s also worth noting that when the U.S. set its summertime record for new cases, on July 16, it reported 947 deaths – slightly lower than Thursday’s total. By the end of July, the U.S. daily death rate rose to nearly 1,500, according to the COVID Tracking Project.

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Despite advances in treatment that are credited with lowering the U.S. fatality rate, experts warn that the sheer number of new cases, and the strain on hospital systems, will lead to more deaths. Their worries are compounded by the looming winter flu season.

«One case per second in US yesterday,» former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said Friday via Twitter.

One case per second in US yesterday. That's diagnosed cases ~1/5 total infections, of which ~1/200 are fatal.

Today, every 40 seconds, someone in this country will get a Covid infection that will kill them. Unacceptable. Failure. Together, our country can do so much better.

— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrTomFrieden) October 30, 2020

«Today, every 40 seconds, someone in this country will get a Covid infection that will kill them,» Frieden added, calling the U.S. response to the pandemic an unacceptable failure.

The U.S. is now poised to report a total of 9 million coronavirus cases, the most in the world. This week, India joined the U.S. as the only two countries with more than 8 million confirmed cases.

• coronavirus cases
• COVID-19
• U.S.