Topline
According to Johns Hopkins University's tally, 675,444 confirmed coronavirus cases were reported in the United States on Monday. This is more than the total number of Americans who died from the Flu of 1918. It has made the coronavirus one of the most dangerous pandemics in American history.
James Harvey tends to pre-sold caskets in a funeral home, April 29, 2020 in New York City. Getty Images
The Key Facts
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 675,000 Americans died from H1N1 between 1918 and 1919. This virus was first called the Spanish Flu because Spanish media covered it more often than other countries fighting World War I. The Spanish Flu was the deadliest pandemic in American history, with more confirmed deaths from coronavirus than the Spanish Flu. Despite the availability of effective and safe vaccines that were available, the number of Coronavirus-related deaths has surpassed those from 1918 flu. According to the CDC, 50 million people died from the Spanish Flu in the world. Nearly 4.7 million coronavirus-related deaths were reported worldwide Monday.
Tangent
This grim moment comes as the U.S. faces a new wave of the pandemic. After having declined significantly earlier in the year, new coronavirus infections started to appear in June. In April, vaccination rates started to fall. According to the CDC, patients who have not been vaccinated are 11 times more likely than those who have been fully vaccinated to contract coronavirus.
Important Background
The United States has been the most affected country since the outbreak. There have been more than 42 million coronavirus cases in the U.S., more than any other country. Experts believe that the official coronavirus deaths and cases count is inaccurate and doesn't reflect the true extent of the pandemic. This is because coronavirus infections aren't always accurately identified.
Continue reading
Pandemic double takes: 1918...or 2020 These Photos (Forbes) Will Make You Believe It!
It's not new to protest during a pandemic: Meet the Anti-Mask League Of 1918. (Forbes).
