According to a statistic made by Johns Hopkins University, the number of coronavirus-related deaths in the United States has topped 800,000.
As per the data released on Tuesday, it is the greatest documented national death toll since the start of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States has around 4% of the world’s population but accounts for nearly 15% of the 5.3 million deaths linked to the coronavirus since it first appeared in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.
“As we commemorate the 800,000 Americans who have died as a result of Covid-19, we remember each person and the lives they led, and we pray for the loved ones left behind,” said President Joe Biden in a statement.
“As we enter the winter months and face a new variety, we must vow to continue combating this virus together,” he stated.
Unvaccinated people accounted for the majority of deaths in the United States.
Vaccination rates increased during the fourth wave of the disease, which was driven by the Delta strain, and more than 60% of the country’s 332 million people are now completely vaccinated – albeit the US still trails other wealthy nations.
The sombre milestone was reached as the country prepared for the winter season amid the development of the Omicron variety of the virus, which doctors believe is more transmissible than earlier strains.
The fifth wave has arrived in the United States, with the epicentre in the colder northern states, as people assemble more frequently indoors.
Omicron, which has sparked worldwide concern since it was first detected in late November in South Africa, presently accounts for about 3% of US cases, but that percentage is projected to swiftly climb, as it has in other nations.
Even if early evidence that the variant causes milder sickness in the majority of persons is confirmed, the variant’s greater transmissibility and capacity to overcome prior immunity may counteract this benefit by infecting significantly more people.
Everyone above the age of 16 should have a booster shot to restore immunity to levels comparable to two doses against older strains, according to health officials.