Washington:
The University of Washington on Thursday expanded the forecast of its widely cited model, projecting 317,697 deaths in the United States by Dec. 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as cases climb in many states.
The new forecast, by the university’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) reflects an increase of about 8,000 deaths from its previous forecast.
However, the report also suggests that if 95% of Americans wore a mask, the death toll could be reduced by about 67,000 lives.
At least 179,725 Americans have died from the respiratory disease, while reported U.S. infections have breached 5.8 million cases, according to a tally by Reuters.
The IHME’s projections have been cited in the past by the White House and are watched closely by public health officials.
Trump administration to purchase 150 million Abbott COVID-19 tests for $750 million
The Trump administration will purchase 150 million rapid coronavirus tests from Abbott Laboratories for about $750 million, a White House spokeswoman said on Thursday.
The portable antigen tests, which can deliver results within 15 minutes and will sell for $5, received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday.The portable test from Abbott is about the size of a credit card, requires no additional equipment to operate, and can be conducted using a less invasive nasal swab than traditional lab tests.
Antigen tests are cheaper and faster than molecular diagnostic tests, but somewhat more likely to fail to identify positive cases of the virus than lab-based diagnostic tests.Becton Dickinson and Co and Quidel Corp already market antigen tests.
Abbott shares rose 8% to $111.54 in afternoon trading, and the company declined to comment on the latest development.