COVID Aug 3: global, USA & Canada – cases & deaths

Monday August 3, 2020 ~ GLOBAL | NATIONAL | BC

by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc., editor | West Shore Voice News

On this BC Day holiday Monday, August 3, the current COVID-19 case counts and deaths are variable as to being current (given that some countries don’t report over the weekend):

• Global (WHO): 17,918,582 reports cases (257,677 new in the last 24 hours) and 686,703 deaths (5,810 new in 24 hours). But the most current tally — from John Hopkins University — is 18,178,736 today as of 3:34 pm.
• The global per-day rates are comparable to the previous day (August 2): 17,660,523 cases (262,929 new in the last 24 hours), and 680,894 deaths (5,851 new in 24 hours)
• USA (WHO): 4,582,276 cases (58,388 new). Deaths: 153,757 (1,127 new).
• The per-day rates in the USA are a bit lower on August 3 compared to the previous day (August 2): 4,523,888 cases (67,499 new) and 152,630 deaths (1,365 new)
• Canada (Public Health Agency of Canada): 117,031 cases and 8,947 deaths.| The August 3 figures do not include tallies from several provinces due to the holiday long weekend. | The August 2 stats were 116,884 cases and 8,945 deaths.
• British Columbia (BC CDC / July 31): 3,641 cases (50 new) and 195 deaths (1 new). | No stats reported on the BC Day long weekend (August 1 to 3).

Until there is a vaccine:

In just the past week or so there have been reports about one or two treatments (not cures) for COVID-19, and word of getting close to a vaccine (some now in clinical trials). But essentially there is still zero protection for humans of all ages against COVID-19.

Getting the infection itself would be bad enough, but there are concomitant impacts such as inability to work and the possibility of infecting family and household members.

When there is a vaccine:

Even once the presumed vaccine is found, manufactured and distributed, it will not be administered to everyone all at once. Frontline emergency and health care workers and government leaders will probably receive the vaccine first, followed by sectors designated as essential.

Unlike in the regular flu season where seniors and children are given the vaccine most freely, a premium supply of COVID-19 vaccine may not reach seniors and children as readily as the working adult population that will be needed to keep the economy going.

===== LINKS:

COVID-19 outbreak in Canada – stats and guidelines (Public Health Agency of Canada)

COVID-19 information in BC – stats and guidelines (BC Centre for Disease Control)

Return to School in September 2020: in-class learning, with learning group requirements. School districts are to announce their plans by August 26, 2020.