MANILA – It is dreadful to equate an apparently simple health issue to armed conflict, much worse, a world war. A report by Agence France-Presse from the data of the John Hopkins University on June 17, placed the ongoing death toll of Americans from coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) more than that of World War I.
According to Baltimore-based university, the total Covid-19 deaths in the United States (US) reached a staggering 116,854 in the evening of June 16, Tuesday with 740 new deaths in 24 hours or just two days after below 400 deaths in the country. The spike of contamination may be due to the loosening of restrictions and opening of businesses in the country.
The university also said the 23,351 new cases in the same 24-hour period brought the total US Covid-19 positive count up to 2,134,973 thereby maintaining its position as the hardest-hit country in the world.
Based on the International Encyclopedia, American losses in World War I were modest compared to those of other belligerents, with 116,516 deaths and approximately 320,000 sick and wounded of the 4.7 million men and women who served in the war effort.
In April, the number of deaths of the country from the pandemic had overtook the death toll of American soldiers and non-combatant personnel during the Vietnam war. Nobody knows what other records will the US break in terms of the extent of destruction wrought by the pandemic in the country where many businesses have started opening and with around 20,000 new cases of Covid-19 recorded daily.
The administration of President Donald Trump who has downplayed the risk of the virus since day 1 continues to focus on reviving the economy and insists on opening the economy even if a full-blown wave of the epidemic happens. Indeed, his handling with the pandemic will be a tough issue on his bid for reelection come November.
