Coronavirus death rates rising across the country

Daily coronavirus-related deaths in the U.S. hit a new record on Wednesday, when roughly 2,800 people died from the virus.

The big picture: Caseloads and hospitalizations continue to rise, and deaths are spiking in states all across the country.

By the numbers: The states with the highest death tolls from the virus, adjusted for population, are still the ones that were hit hard by the first wave of infections in the spring.

• New York saw 38.9 deaths per 1 million people in April, followed by New Jersey (37.5) and Connecticut (33.4).
• But more states are now catching up to those totals.
• North and South Dakota, which saw surges in the fall, recorded 24.1 and 30.4 daily deaths in November — the fourth and fifth highest state peaks to date.
• Twelve states and Puerto Rico have hit new daily death records just this week.

What's happening: As Americans continue to disregard mitigation strategies and become infected in record numbers, hospitals around the country are facing staff shortages, meaning the quality and availability of treatment is decreasing.

• And while there are promising new pharmaceutical treatments on the market, there's not nearly enough for everyone.
• That means that death rates can get as high as we let them, and in many states, they're currently trending in the wrong direction.

The bottom line: At this point, there's no good reason to think that America is going to control the virus, meaning that thousands of lives are on the line every day until a vaccine is widely available to vulnerable populations.