With more than 52,000 positive cases on July 1, the US is once again emerging as the hotbed of the coronavirus pandemic. A tally provided by Johns Hopkins University showed the new one-day record as infections surge across the country. The new trend in rising positive cases has started worrying medical experts, especially at a time when the country is all set to celebrate its Independence Day on July 4.
Will July 4 Celebrations Worsen COVID-19 Spread in the US?
According to medical experts, several states in the US are witnessing more severe outbreaks than they saw a couple of months back. As people start gathering for Independence Day on July 4, things may worsen again, and experts predict a surge in coronavirus cases post this weekend.
"I am very concerned, especially given this coming weekend, that the same types of spikes, the same types of surges could be seen not just in the places that are currently experiencing surges, but in places that have already experienced surges, and in ones that haven't yet," said Joshua Barocas, assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine, The Hill reports.
The Independence Day celebrations come at a time when the US is averaging 40,000 new cases a day, exceeding the numbers recorded in May. Even though the rise in positive cases is attributed to increased testing rates, several medial experts claim that the rise in the percentage of tests coming back positive is a strong indication of a worsening outbreak.
Now most of the states are open, and people are being asked to maintain safe social distancing measures while interacting with others. Authorities hope that most people will gather outside abiding by social distancing measures, where the risk of transmission is comparatively lower than inside.
Coronavirus Mutated to its Deadliest Form?
A few days back, a study report published by the US-based Los Alamos National Laboratory claimed to have discovered a new strain of coronavirus that is more infectious than the previous versions of the pathogen. According to researchers who took part in the study, the rampant spread of COVID-19 has given the deadly pathogen ample time to evolve into a lethal form.
