National COVID-19 Update

April 24, 2020

Current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) figures show a total of 865,585 confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. in 55 states and U.S. territories, with 48,816 deaths. New York state leads the nation with more than 253,000 cases, followed by New Jersey which has more than 95,000 cases and Massachusetts which has more than 42,000 cases.

As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the U.S. Health Resources & Services Administration made 52 awards, representing all 55 poison centers nationwide. The Illinois Poison Center was awarded $196,904, the second largest award in the nation.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication today reminding healthcare professionals the risks associated with the use of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, which include serious and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm problems. The FDA says that hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine have not been shown to be safe and effective for treating or preventing COVID-19 and the drugs are currently being studied in clinical trials.

Data compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) shows that more than 10,000 residents and staff in long-term care facilities across the U.S. have died from COVID-19 infections. KFF notes that this number is lower than the actual deaths because not all states are reporting this data. In Illinois, 5% of the state’s cases are in long-term care facilities, while 18% of deaths are in long-term care facilities (as of April 23). Some states are experiencing COVID-19 death rates in long-term care facilities greater than 50%.

The latest WHO situation report shows more than 2.62 million COVID-19 cases globally, with over 181,000 deaths. The European Region leads the world in cases and deaths, with more than 1.28 million confirmed cases with over 116,000 deaths. The Region of the Americas (includes the U.S.) follows, reporting more than 995,000 cases and more than 50,000 deaths.