The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has predicted that the coronavirus death toll in the US could spike to 182,000 by late August.
This means that, over the course of one month, roughly 30,000 Americans will die from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, according to the internal document first obtained by Yahoo News.
In the report, the researchers also forecast a spike in fatalities between 5,000 and 11,000 during the week of August 15 to August 22.
The projection contradicts President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the virus will soon ‘disappear’ and that the US has a ‘fatality rate lower than most.’
It also comes on the heels of more than 1,500 coronavirus-related deaths reported in the US on Wednesday, the biggest single-day increase since May.
A new CDC model predicts the US coronavirus death toll could reach 182,000 by late August, with around 30,000 deaths in just one month (above)
Also forecasted is a spike in fatalities between 5,000 and 11,000 during the week of August 15 to August 22 (above)
Five states and one territory are expected to see new deaths per week increase including Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and Washington. Pictured: Nurse Kyah Paschall checks on 64-year-old-coronavirus patient Patricia Luera connected to a ventilator at Paradise Valley Hospital in National City, California, July 8
The US has struggled to get the pandemic under control with more than 60,000 new daily cases confirmed over seven of the last 10 days.
The CDC projections for coronavirus deaths are based on forecasts made by 32 different modeling groups across the country.
Last week, the forecast projected between 160,000 and 175,000 people would die from COVID-19 by August 15.
This week, that number rose to between 168,000 and 182,000 by August 22, the document reveals.
Additionally, five states and one territory are expected to see new deaths per week increase over the next four weeks: Alabama, Kentucky, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and Washington.
Another model from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics predicts more than 230,000 coronavirus-related deaths will occur by November 1.
The projection has continued to increase in recent weeks with initially 208,000 deaths by November 1 predicted on July 7 and then up to 224,000 deaths the following week.
However, if the US implemented a universal mask mandate, the model suggests that 198,000 Americans would die by that date.
The CDC also says that the virus is on track to become one of the leading causes of death in the US in 2020.
Statisticians told CNN in an email they expect COVID-19 to rise as high as number three, but not overtake the two-leading causes of death among Americans, which are heart disease and cancer, respectively.
On Friday, Reuters revealed that the US recorded nearly 25,000 coronavirus deaths in July, a 19 percent increase compared to June.
Additionally, 1.8 million new cases were recorded out of the total 4.4 million, an increase of 66 percent in comparison with last month
On July 16, the country also shattered single-day global records when it reported more than 77,000 new cases.
Meanwhile, as former hotspot states such as New York and New Jersey report record-lows, Middle America is becoming the new hotspot with cases surging in states such as Ohio and Missouri.
On Thursday, Ohio’s health department reported that the state had seen its highest single-day increase in infections since the pandemic started in January with 1,733 cases. The state’s previous record was 1,679 new cases on July 17.
Meanwhile, in Missouri, more than 2,000 new cases were recorded on Thursday, a record-high for the state and the third day in a row the state has broken its record high.
In fact, the state has broken its total case record seven times over the last 11 days,.
