COVID-19 hospitalizations hit new records in 13 states


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COVID-19 continues spreading in the U.S. at a pace that alarms public health experts. "If things do not change, if they continue on the course we’re on, there’s gonna be a whole lot of pain in this country with regard to additional cases and hospitalizations, and deaths," Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNBC's Shepard Smith on Wednesday evening.
The U.S. recorded about 80,000 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday — by NBC News' tally, the 80,662 new cases signified a new record, topping 80,000 for the first time; the COVID Tracking Project and Johns Hopkins University both registered about 83,000 new cases on Friday and Saturday, and just under 80,000 Wednesday. By any count, these are the worst numbers since the previous peak in July. U.S. COVID-19 deaths are up to about 1,000 a day, also, and hospitalizations hit new highs in 13 states on Wednesday.
A South Dakota resident, for example, was nearly 40 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than someone in Maine on Wednesday, Bloomberg's Steven Dennis noticed. Overall, about 228,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and 8.9 million have tested positive for the new coronavirus.
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A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Peter Weber is a senior editor at TheWeek.com, and has handled the editorial night shift since the website launched in 2008. A graduate of Northwestern University, Peter has worked at Facts on File and The New York Times Magazine. He speaks Spanish and Italian and plays bass and rhythm cello in an Austin rock band. Follow him on Twitter.
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