Coronavirus: Why are infections rising again in US?


 The news of President Donald Trump's positive coronavirus test, and his subsequent hospitalisation, has reminded the country that no one is protected from this virus.

So where is the US right now in dealing with the pandemic?

What's the overall picture?

With about 7.5 million coronavirus cases, the US has the highest number of confirmed infections in the world - about one-fifth of the global total despite having only 4% of the population.

After the initial spike in late March, social distancing restrictions gradually brought infections to the heel. By May, case numbers had stabilised. But as states peeled back lockdown measures, cases began to rise, reaching a countrywide high in July.

But as summer hotspots - like Arizona, Florida and California - brought their outbreaks under control, surges have developed elsewhere, with fast-moving outbreaks in North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In recent weeks, infections have risen steadily, with national cases increasing for three weeks in a row. Though numbers have so far not reached the record-breaking levels of July and August, the country is reporting more than 40,000 new cases each day.

Hospitalisations, too, are on the rise. According to data compiled by the Covid Tracking Project, the average number of people hospitalised for coronavirus in a week rose recently for the first time since July.

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