Thu 27 August 2020:
Grim milestone surpassed as some forecast number of deaths to surpass 200,000 by Labor Day
WASHINGTON – The number of known coronavirus deaths in the US exceeded 180,000 as the US continues to account for over 20% of all virus-related fatalities.
A running tally being composed by Johns Hopkins University found a total of 180,118 COVID-19-related deaths, which is over one-fifth of the 827,527 deaths globally the university has counted.
The grim milestone comes as US President Donald Trump faces an uphill battle against Democratic challenger Joe Biden, with most nationwide polls showing the former vice president holding a substantial lead as the American public greatly disapproves of Trump’s handling of the pandemic.
An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll released on Monday showed that just 31% of Americans are supportive of the president’s response to the health crisis with just over two months until the US’s Nov. 3 polls.
Some estimates have predicted the US will exceed 200,000 virus deaths by Labor Day, which Americans will celebrate on Sept. 7. this year.
In addition to being home to the highest number of deaths, the country continues to remain with the most known cases as well, with more than 5.8 confirmed infections.
The US is followed by Brazil and India for confirmed cases and Brazil and Mexico for total deaths related to the global pandemic.
By Michael Hernandez | Anadolu Agency
