As Americans head to the election polls on Tuesday, they are doing so amid an accelerating coronavirus outbreak throughout the nation, with the majority of states seeing concerning growth patterns in daily infection rates and nationwide hospitalizations rates beginning to reach levels not seen since August.
In an internal memo leaked to the Washington Post, White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx raised concerns towards the state of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., calling for more urgent action from White House and government health officials.
Birx wrote that the nation is "entering the most concerning and most deadly phase of this pandemic," and the only way the current trajectory of the outbreak can be reversed is through "much more aggressive action." Birx added that testing in many areas of where cases are rising is "flat or declining," and if the outbreak is left to continue there will be of increased mortality rates.
"This is not about lockdowns--it hasn't been about lockdowns since March or April," Birx wrote, quoted by the Washington Post. "It's about an aggressive balanced approach that is not being implemented."
Birx forecasted that at its current rate, U.S. infections will reach 100,000 per day by the end of this week. The U.S. recorded over 99,000 new cases on Friday.
Across political battleground states in the Midwest, coronavirus cases have continued to average near record highs. In swing states--states that often see more competitive elections as either political party could win over voters--like Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania, average daily infections have increased considerably compared to the prior week.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued updated guidance over the weekend that all voters, including those currently infected or in quarantine, have the right to vote in person on election day. The federal health agency recommended in new guidelines that infected individuals wear a mask, stay at least six feet away from others, and wash their hands or use hand sanitizer before and after voting.
While the right to vote supersedes the risk of spreading the coronavirus, infected individuals waiting in line or voting indoors could case another widespread outbreak within a nation already batting its largest outbreak yet.
Coronavirus After Election
Regardless of the ultimate outcome of the U.S. presidential election, President Donald Trump will still remain in charge of the country's pandemic response until at least January 20, the last day of his presidential term.
Looking ahead, at least one vaccine is expected to be approved for emergency use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by the end of the year. Frontrunners Moderna
Beyond the vaccine, a new coronavirus stimulus package is not expected until early 2021. While the details of the stimulus package will likely be similar under a Trump or Democratic challenger Joe Biden presidency, the latter's victory will likely bring a larger monetary amount.
