(NEW YORK) — Here are today’s In Crisis headlines:
Still no winner in the presidential election; Congress remains largely the same
As Wednesday morning begins, there’s still no winner in the race for the White House, despite President Trump incorrectly declaring victory Tuesday night. As of 9:00 a.m. ET, Democratic challenger Joe Biden led the race, with 225 electoral votes, compared to Trump’s 213, with a minimum 270 total electoral votes out of 538 needed to secure victory. Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin have yet to declare a winner in the presidential election. The contest in all of those states is tight, with only a few percentage points of total votes cast, or fewer, separating the candidates. Over 100 million Americans voted early in this year’s election – a record number of ballots that still need to be counted in those states, a task that could stretch into Thursday or beyond. In Congress, Democrats are projected to retain control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans are projected to retain their majority in the Senate. Check ABCNews.com for the latest vote counts and other election updates.
COVID-19 numbers
Here’s the latest data on COVID-19 coronavirus infections and deaths.
Latest reported numbers globally per Johns Hopkins University
Global diagnosed cases: 47,542,998
Global deaths: 1,215,980. The United States has the most deaths of any single country, with 232,638.
Number of countries/regions: at least 190
Total patients recovered globally: 31,684,773
Latest reported numbers in the United States per Johns Hopkins University
There are at least 9,385,506 reported cases in 50 states + the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam. This is more than in any other country.
U.S. deaths: at least 232,638. New York State has the greatest number of reported deaths in the U.S., with 33,543.
U.S. total patients recovered: 3,705,130
U.S. total people tested: 149,762,678
The greatest number of reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. is in Texas, with 950,302 confirmed cases out of a total state population of 39.51 million. That ranks third in the world after Maharashtra, India, which has 1,692,693 reported cases, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, which has 1,118,544 reported cases.
NIH director says wearing a mask could save 130,000+ lives by March
Americans are accustomed to hearing COVID-19 news from Dr. Anthony Fauci, but now his boss is speaking out, declaring that wearing a mask could save over 130,000 lives in the next four months. In a blog post on the National Institutes of Health website, NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins cites a recent study, published in Nature Medicine, that finds only about half of Americans always wear a mask in public. If this trend continues, coupled with inconsistent social distancing, “COVID-19 deaths in the United States could soar to more than 1 million by the end of February,” Collins writes. However, he continues, “if most Americans pulled together to do the right thing and wore a mask in public, this simple, selfless act would save more than 130,000 lives in the next few months alone. If mask-wearers increased to just 85 percent, the model predicts it would save about 96,000 lives across the country.” Collins urges Americans to think of face coverings “in the same way you think about putting on your seat belt — a minor inconvenience that can save lives.”
The latest forecast from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that from 243,000 to 256,000 COVID-19 deaths will be reported by the week ending November 21. As of Wednesday morning, the U.S. had at least 232,638 reported COVID-19 deaths, more than any other country and representing just over 19% of global deaths.
US COVID-19 cases continue upward trajectory; 1,000+ deaths Tuesday
The latest data from the Covid Tacking Project shows COVID-19 cases nationwide are continuing to rise. By day’s end Tuesday, states reported more than 87,000 new cases with more than 50,000 people hospitalized and a reported 1,079 deaths. Coronavirus hospitalizations in the Midwest in particular are on the rise, with 238 people currently hospitalized per million people, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Overall, there are 40 states and territories where infections are high and remaining that way, with 34 states and the District of Columbia showing an increase in positivity rates, and 46 states, plus territories and D.C. showing an increase in hospitalizations. Twenty-six states and territories are reporting an increase in daily deaths from COVID-19.
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