The U.S. has reported more than 650,000 COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic began and broke several COVID-19 case records this week as infections continue to surge.
Three takeaways:
1. Deaths. The U.S. reported 650,697 cumulative COVID-19 deaths as of Sept. 8 at 9:40 a.m. CT, according to data from Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.
2. Total annual cases. As of Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. CT, the U.S. had reported 20.14 million COVID-19 cases this year. This figure surpasses the 20.1 million cases officially reported in 2020, according to USA Today. The true number of infections in 2020 remains unclear because of the undetected spread of the virus and limited testing capabilities early in the pandemic.
3. Pediatric cases. The U.S. reported 251,781 new COVID-19 cases among children last week, according to new data from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Hospital Association, the highest weekly tally of the pandemic. In the week ending Sept. 2, children represented 26.8 percent of all weekly cases reported in the U.S., up from 22.4 percent in the week prior. To view more pediatric COVID-19 data, click here.