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These 7 states need to get their coronavirus cases under control

Published Sep 15th, 2020 8:15PM EDT
Coronavirus cases
Image: Mauro Rodrigues/Adobe

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  • Public health experts are worried at the rising number of coronavirus cases in a little more than a half-dozen states at the moment, as experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci warn that the US is going to be in store for a “hard” fall and winter.
  • The states are seeing coronavirus cases rise and stay at a high rate, according to data from The New York Times.
  • To date, according to Johns Hopkins University, the US has recorded almost 6.6 million coronavirus cases and more than 195,000 deaths.

Among the latest headlines and updates related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the US is a new research study that found something that might come as a surprise: Researchers now think coronavirus cases may have been circulating through the US much sooner than they initially believed. In fact, it could have been as early as late December, which is about a month before the CDC thinks the virus first arrived in the country.

That’s according to a study published Thursday in the Journal of Medical Internet Research, which CNN notes found a “statistically significant uptick” in clinic and hospital visits starting the week of December 22 by patients presenting symptoms of respiratory illnesses. Meanwhile, in addition to learning more about that starting point of the coronavirus crisis in the US, White House health advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci has been sounding more alarmed in recent days about what comes next — namely, that Americans should prepare to “hunker down” and steel themselves for a hard fall and winter relative to the coronavirus pandemic. And there are 7 states that are essentially Exhibit A for what he’s talking about.

Even though the number of coronavirus cases has dropped to less than 40,000 per day in the US, that number is still “an unacceptable baseline,” according to Fauci, who also works as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The rising number of coronavirus cases in the following 7 states, in particular, show why Fauci is concerned. Based on data from The New York Times, states that are seeing an alarming number of new coronavirus cases include:

  1. South Carolina
  2. Arkansas 
  3. Nebraska
  4. Oklahoma
  5. Wisconsin
  6. North Dakota
  7. Missouri

Nebraska, for example, has seen almost 2,300 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, tantamount to 119 new cases per 100,000 people. The state also has a positive test rate of 10%, according to Covid Act Now. Another state on this list is South Carolina, which ended up on a list prepared by the White House Coronavirus Task Force of states in a kind of “red zone” based on their rising numbers of coronavirus cases. That’s according to a leaked document obtained by the Center for Public Integrity.

In the case of South Carolina, it’s seen more than 6,910 new COVID-19 cases over the past week, equal to some 134 cases per 100,000 people.

Andy Meek Trending News Editor

Andy Meek is a reporter based in Memphis who has covered media, entertainment, and culture for over 20 years. His work has appeared in outlets including The Guardian, Forbes, and The Financial Times, and he’s written for BGR since 2015. Andy's coverage includes technology and entertainment, and he has a particular interest in all things streaming.

Over the years, he’s interviewed legendary figures in entertainment and tech that range from Stan Lee to John McAfee, Peter Thiel, and Reed Hastings.