COVID deaths in U.S. now over 500,000

Milestone is somber one as new case counts drop

America marked a yet another somber milestone this week as the COVID-19 death toll passed the 500,000 mark.

It’s a somber reminder amid the good news we’ve seen lately on the COVID front.

Our new case counts in Yuma County have dramatically declined, and we appear to be gaining some traction on getting vaccines here and distributed.

But one can’t deny the impact that COVID has had on our lives.

There have been over 36,000 positive COVID cases in

Yuma County over the last year. That’s 36,000 people who have had to deal with a range of symptoms and likely a financial impact – both from the cost of care and the cost of missing work.

There’s a psychological component to this as well. “Will I recover? What happens next? Am I going to be OK? Will there be long-term effects? How do I keep my family safe?” – it’s an anxiety-inducing situation.

And, 774 people have lost their lives to this illness in Yuma County. They won’t be at the dinner table tonight, nor will they be there to celebrate milestones and birthdays with their spouses, children or grandchildren.

Instead, we have 774 families in Yuma County with COVID-shaped holes in their hearts. They aren’t just random statistics. They are our neighbors, friends and relatives.

And those 774 people are part of the bigger picture of loss nationwide as we surpass that tragic 500,000 milestone.

According to the Associated Press, that number matches the number of Americans killed in World War II, Korea and Vietnam combined.

The deaths in America account for 20 percent of the nearly 2.5 million coronavirus deaths globally.

We are on the right track at the moment. Cases in both Yuma County and across the nation are dropping off significantly, which experts attribute to “the passing of the holidays; the cold and bleak days of midwinter, when many people stay home; and better adherence to mask rules and social distancing,” the AP reports.

But still – we cannot afford to let our guard down. Efforts must continue to keep COVID at bay, until we can say with confidence that the crisis has passed.

We aren’t there yet, readers.

To those who have been impacted by COVID – especially those who have been sick or lost a family member – our hearts are with you.