Though it appears that the curve of the coronavirus pandemic is flattening in the U.S., cases have not decreased, indicating that the country is still in the midst of the first wave of the pandemic and the virus is still spreading, according to STAT News.
The United States reported more than 25,000 new coronavirus infections almost daily in April, and this number does not appear to be decreasing in May. Since April 2, more than 1,000 people have died daily. This week, on May 5 and 6, the death toll reached 2,000, STAT's COVID-10 tracker shows.
The plateauing of cases at a high level shows the virus is still spreading, even with shutdown orders and social-distancing measures in place.
Though COVID-19 hospitalizations have dropped in some states, and new hospitalizations have dropped in some of the hardest hit areas of the country, such as New York City, cases are growing in other states. At least eight states reported sharp increases in new coronavirus cases and deaths at the end of April and beginning of May.
Some states have begun lifting restrictions aimed at stopping the virus from spreading, but reopening states with a high level of new infections increases the risk of a far wider spread and makes it challenging for public health agencies to conduct the testing and tracing needed, STAT reports.
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