The United States now has more than 250,000 coronavirus-related deaths, a grim reality that will likely worsen in the coming weeks and months as the holidays and winter approach.
The U.S. surpassed the mark Wednesday with 1,848 virus-related deaths and 170,161 new coronavirus cases, according to a Johns Hopkins University tracker.
An ensemble forecast published Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects that the nation’s coronavirus death toll will increase to as high as 298,000 by Dec. 12, CNN reported.
Though several drugmakers have recently touted breakthroughs in attempts to develop a vaccine, any effective and safe candidate approved by the federal government likely wouldn’t be widely available until the middle of next year, authorities say.
As of Thursday, the U.S. now has roughly 11.6 million cases and 251,000 related deaths — both tops globally — according to the Johns Hopkins tracker.
