Washington: There was an increase in both COVID-19 cases and deaths in the United States on Tuesday, according to updated data from researchers at Johns Hopkins University.
Data compiled by the university’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering showed September started with 43,200 new cases nationwide, an increase of nearly 10,000 over Monday’s figure, and almost 1,100 new deaths.
While the new case figure was higher, it was still below the August average of 47,300 cases per day. Tuesday’s death count was the first to surpass 1,000 in several days.
Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 6.075 million cases and 184,700 deaths in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins data.
Tuesday, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert said a COVID-19 vaccine could be available earlier than expected if clinical trials produce significantly positive results.
Dr. Anthony Fauci told Kaiser Health News that an independent board could end a trial weeks early if the cumulative results are overwhelmingly positive or negative.
Fauci said the board would have a “moral obligation” to end the trial early if data is so good that “you can [conclude] it’s safe and effective.”
