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Coronavirus deaths reach 4,000 per day as hospitals remain in crisis mode

Caitlin Owens, author of Vitals
Data: The COVID Tracking Project, Harvard Global Health Institute; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon/Axios

Hospitals around the country remain filled beyond capacity, threatening the quality of care provided both to coronavirus patients and people suffering other medical emergencies.

Why it matters: We're beginning to see more than 4,000 coronavirus deaths a day, and heart attacks and car accidents are still happening, whether or not the local hospital has any room left.

  • Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Delaware, South Carolina and Virginia are currently experiencing record hospitalizations.
  • Some patients' conditions will likely worsen without timely medical care.

Zoom in: Officials in Los Angeles County, where beds have been set up in hallways and patients wait hours in ambulances to be admitted to the emergency room, per the L.A. Times , said yesterday that hospitals likely haven't seen the effects of the end of the holiday season.

  • Hospitals in Southern Nevada are filling up, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, with one Las Vegas hospital issuing a disaster declaration recently — which is a "very fancy way of saying rationing care," said Joe Corcoran, chief medical officer overseeing HCA Healthcare hospitals in Nevada and California.

The bottom line: Vaccines may be the dominant story in the news right now, but the situation on the ground is still dire.

Go deeper

Rebecca Falconer
Updated 14 hours ago - World

Portugal president wins second term, but far-right gains as COVID cases spike

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa at a polling station in Celorico de Basto, Portugal, on Sunday. The election took place with strict social distancing rules and other coronavirus precuatins in effect. Photo: Octavio Passos/Getty Images

Portugal's center-right President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said after being re-elected with 61% of the vote for a second term Sunday his priority will be to "combat the pandemic," per Reuters.

Why it matters: Portugal is currently on lockdown with the highest seven-day COVID-19 average per 100,000 and some of the highest death rates in the world, according to Johns Hopkins.

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Rebecca Falconer
Updated 19 hours ago - World

Mexican President López Obrador tests positive for coronavirus

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador during a press conference at National Palace in Mexico City, on Wednesday. Photo: Ismael Rosas/Eyepix Group/Barcroft Media via Getty Images

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador announced Sunday evening that he's tested positive for COVID-19.

Driving the news: López Obrador tweeted that he has mild symptoms and is receiving medical treatment. "As always, I am optimistic," he added. "We will all move forward."

Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow
Axios
Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

  1. Health: Pandemic fatigue quantified — The pandemic could be worsening childhood obesity.
  2. Vaccine: Moderna says vaccine appears to protect against new COVID-19 variants — Cities launch efforts to vaccinate the homeless.
  3. Politics: Deborah Birx went "on the road" for local COVID efforts to avoid White House censorship — Sanders says Democrats will push coronavirus relief package through with simple majority.
  4. Business: Budweiser skips Super Bowl ads in favor of vaccine education campaign.
  5. World: Mexican President López Obrador tests positive for coronavirus.
  6. 🎧 Podcast: Google's chief health officer Karen DeSalvo on vaccinating America.
Go deeper (1 min. read)Arrow