Preliminary numbers suggest that the US is on track to see more than 3.2 million total deaths this year, which is a 15%jump from 2019. It would mark the largest single-year percentage leap since 1918, when 116,516 US soldiers died in World War I and 675,000 Americans died in the Spanish Flu pandemic. Deaths rose 46 percent that year, compared with 1917.Deaths could potentially go even higher for 2020 once all fatalities from this month are counted. COVID-19 has so far killed more than 319,000 Americans this year and the death toll is only increasing. Deaths from coronavirus have been surging this month to record highs with the nationwide seven day average now at more than 2,600. The last week has been the deadliest of the pandemic so far with more than 18,000 COVID-19 deaths, which equates to one death every 33 seconds. December is now on track to become the deadliest month of the pandemic. In the last week, deaths increased in 22 states. Washington, Delaware, Oregon and Arizona all reported a more than 50 percent increase in fatalities compared to the previous seven days.
Newspaper & online reporters and analysts explore the cultural and news stories of the week, with photos frequently added by Esco20, and reveal their significance (with a slant towards Esco 20's opinions)