CDC: COVID Could Kill 92K in the Next 3 Weeks

While the start of mass vaccinations means that the end of the pandemic could be on the horizon, some brutal months lie ahead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Thursday. Some 38,000 Americans died from COVID-19 in the first two weeks of 2021—almost 10% of the total death toll—and the CDC says another 92,000 could die in the next three weeks, CNN reports. According to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, another 3,769 deaths and 229,386 new infections were recorded Thursday.

A new one-day record was set Tuesday, with 4,327 deaths recorded. In Los Angeles County, one of the hardest-hit areas, officials say around one in three residents has been infected since the pandemic began. The New York Times reports that while demand for vaccines still outweighs supply in many areas, at least 28 states have now expanded eligibility to older adults as well as health care workers and care home residents. (More coronavirus stories.)