Coronavirus Watch: Reflections as we approach 1 million US COVID deaths
As the U.S. reaches the grim milestone of 1 million COVID-19 deaths, few places in the country have seen as much loss as north central Georgia’s majority-Black Hancock County.
The death rate there is the nation's fourth highest, at 3.5 times the U.S. rate. About 1 in every 100 people have died in the sprawling county. A quarter of the resident's 8,600 residents are 65 and older and most likely to die of COVID-19.
Read more here from reporter Nada Hassanein, who talked to residents about how they've grappled with the virus' impact on their community over the past two years.
It's Thursday, and this is Coronavirus Watch from the Paste BN Network. Here's more news to know:
- Millions of Americans who gained Medicaid health insurance during the pandemic could lose that coverage this year or next when generous federal subsidies end, a new analysis has found.
- Researchers are exploring a nasal delivery system form of a COVID vaccine that holds promise for better prevention of transmission and milder infections.
- As the U.S. approaches 1 million deaths from COVID-19, President Joe Biden labelled the statistic a "tragic milestone," calling each death an "irreplaceable loss."
See our COVID-19 resource guide here. See total reported cases and deaths here. On vaccinations: About 77% of people in the U.S. have received at least one vaccine shot, and about 66% are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC.
– Cady Stanton, Paste BN Nation NOW reporter, @cady_stanton