COVID Deaths in U.S. Surpass 850,000 While Cases Top 65 Million

Late tonight, the United States recorded its 850,000th death from COVID-19 after passing 65 million cases earlier today. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 65,444,262 COVID cases resulting in 850,060 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.3%.

After taking 17 days to go from 800,000 to 825,000 deaths, it took 15 days to go from 825,000 to 850,000. Over this same period, the U.S. has added nearly 11 million COVID cases primarily due to the Omicron variant. Because there have been so many cases, the mortality rate has dropped 0.2% and will likely continue to drop. Still, at this pace, we would reach 1 million COVID deaths in 90 days from now (April 15, 2022). We may get their sooner as hospitalization rates are near if not past 150,000.

This is sobering news, but too many of us remain in a stupor.