The U.S. reported more than 41,000 new COVID-19 cases June 25, the nation's highest count since the pandemic began, according to data from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.
The count surpassed previous records of 36,880 cases June 24 and 36,739 cases confirmed April 24, according to The New York Times.
Six updates:
1. At least 20 million Americans may have had COVID-19, according to a new CDC estimate cited by NBC News. The estimate is based on an analysis of blood samples from patients nationwide. "Our best estimate right now is that for every case that's reported, there actually are 10 other infections," CDC Director Robert Redfield, MD, said June 25, according to NBC News.
2. The coronavirus task force is set to reconvene June 26 for its first briefing since April 27, White House officials told The New York Times. Task force members are expected to share new data from areas seeing a surge in cases.
3. The White House is considering a shift to "pool testing" to expand testing efforts, The New York Times reports. The strategy tests samples from multiple people at the same time in an effort to rapidly detect and isolate infections. If a pooled sample tests negative for the virus, all individuals in the pool are considered virus-free. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said officials are having "intense discussions" about the strategy, as first reported by The Washington Post.
4. Adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s represent a growing proportion of new cases in areas seeing large COVID-19 surges, reports The New York Times. In Arizona, people ages 20 to 44 account for nearly half of all cases in the state. Florida also saw the median age of COVID-19 patients fall from 65 in march to 35 this month. The increases may be due to increased community spread as more people visit reopened bars, restaurants and offices. Health experts told NYT they are concerned younger people with asymptomatic cases may spread the virus to vulnerable populations.
5. People of all ages who have underlying health conditions may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness, the CDC said in a guidance updated June 25. The agency also sorted medical conditions into two categories: conditions that increase Americans' risk of severe COVID-19 (such as chronic kidney disease or serious heart conditions) and conditions that might increase risk (such as asthma or high blood pressure). To view a breakdown of the conditions, click here.
6. More than 1.4 million Americans filed initial unemployment claims for the week ending June 20, according to seasonally adjusted data released June 25 by the U.S. Department of Labor. The count represents a decrease from the previous week, when more than 1.5 million individuals filed initial unemployment claims.
Snapshot of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Cases: 2,422,312
Deaths: 124,424
Recovered: 663,562
Counts reflect data available as of 8:50 a.m. CDT June 26.