A tally by Johns Hopkins University puts the United States’ COVID-19 death toll at over 4000 as of early Wednesday. This is more than double the number from three days ago and has surpassed China’s tally.
More than 40 percent of recorded deaths in the US were in New York state, the Johns Hopkins data showed.
The severity of the situation has finally hit home with US President Donald Trump, who after weeks of denying the gravity of the outbreak and underplaying the threat from the virus, warned Americans of a “very, very painful two weeks” to come.
"I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead," said Trump at a Tuesday afternoon press conference. "This is going to be a very, very painful two weeks."
The number of deaths, based on current projections, is likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000. The number of confirmed cases in the US has crossed 189,000, which is more than Italy and Spain, though these two countries have a higher death rate.