CDC says death toll in America might hit 321,000 in a few weeks
ATLANTA — A new report issued this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the coronavirus death toll could reach up to 321,000 by the middle of December.
The CDC’s “COVID-19 Forecasts: Deaths” shows that models are predicting that the number of coronavirus deaths will likely increase over the next four weeks, with between 10,600 and 21,400 new fatalities likely to be reported in the week ending Dec. 19.
The model predicts that between 294,000 and 321,000 total coronavirus deaths will have been reported by that time.
As of Friday afternoon, Johns Hopkins University of Medicine had recorded more than 263,000 coronavirus deaths in the U.S. and more than 12.9 million confirmed cases, both figures far more than any other nation.
Globally, Johns Hopkins has recorded more than 61.2 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began.
On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump said vaccine distributions to front-line workers, medical personnel and senior citizens will begin next week.
The announcement came during a special Thanksgiving holiday message to U.S. troops overseas via teleconference, Fox News reported.
Before any vaccine is permitted in the U.S., it must be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration, which requires study in thousands of people.
Instead of the usual requirement of “substantial evidence” of safety and effectiveness for approval, the FDA can allow products onto the market as long as their benefits are likely to outweigh their risks. It has already used its emergency powers to authorize hundreds of coronavirus tests and a handful of treatments during the pandemic.
Full approval of a vaccine will likely require six months of safety follow-up as well as extensive inspections of company manufacturing sites. The leading vaccine-makers are not expected to complete that process until next spring or summer. Only then is the FDA expected to grant full approval, which would allow vaccinations of the general population.