The pandemic is entering "the most concerning and most deadly phase," Deborah Birx, MD, White House coronavirus response coordinator, wrote in a Nov. 2 private memo to White House officials, according to The New York Times.
"This is not about lockdowns — it hasn't been about lockdowns since March or April," Dr. Birx wrote. "It's about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented." The memo's existence was reported first by The Washington Post.
Five more updates:
1. Pregnant women with COVID-19 are more likely to need intensive care, according to new CDC data. Researchers analyzed data from about 409,462 pregnant women with symptomatic COVID-19 and found that intensive care unit admission, invasive ventilation, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and death were more likely in pregnant women than in nonpregnant women.
2. Nine months into the COVID-19 pandemic, and there is still no clear, transparent investigation into the source of the novel coronavirus, reports The New York Times. In part, the stalled investigation is due to the World Health Organization yielding to China's efforts to impede its research, according to the Times.
3. More than 853,000 children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic, according to the latest data from the American Academy of Pediatrics. In total, children represent about 11.1 percent of U.S. cases and up to 3.5 percent of total reported hospitalizations.
4. People with COVID-19 have the right to vote, even if they are sick or in quarantine, the CDC said in new voting guidelines published Nov. 1. COVID-19 patients should let poll workers know they are sick or in quarantine when they arrive at their voting location and follow recommended public health practices, the agency said.
5. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory Nov. 2, urging all residents to stay home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. The advisory takes effect Nov. 6 and is meant to help curb the spread of COVID-19.
Snapshot of COVID-19 in the U.S.
Cases: 9,293,589
Deaths: 231,566
Recovered: 3,674,981
Counts reflect data available as of 8:35 a.m. CST Nov. 3.
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Number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, state by state: Nov. 3
20 states where COVID-19 is spreading fastest, slowest: Nov. 3
Daily COVID-19 count nears 100K; 9 states hit record hospitalizations — 6 updates