Prediction: 150K Coronavirus-Related Deaths in Next Month

A projection from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation indicates 150,000 coronavirus-related fatalities will occur over the next month, with the U.S. death toll exceeding 341,000 since the start of the pandemic.

The model predicts 150,000 additional fatalities in the next month, topping the 77,000-plus reported in the U.S. in the final month of 2020. Officials and public health experts have warned that the next month could be one of the worst in terms of cases and fatalities due to the individuals partaking in holiday gatherings in the last few weeks, including Christmas and New Year’s celebrations. All the while, the new strain of the virus hailing from the United Kingdom, which is reportedly more transmissible, has been detected in at least three U.S. states: Colorado, California, and Florida.

Overall, the model’s current projection estimates 567,195 coronavirus-related deaths by April 1, 2021.

This prediction coincides with President-elect Joe Biden’s (D) recent warning that “our darkest days” of battling the pandemic lie ahead.

“One thing I promise you, about my leadership during this crisis: I’m going tell it to you straight. I’m going tell you the truth, and here is the simple truth,” Biden said in a gloomy holiday message last month:

“Our darkest days in the battle against COVID are ahead of us, not behind us,” he continued. “So we need to prepare ourselves, to steel our spines, as frustrating as it is to hear. It’s going to take patience, persistence,  and determination to beat this virus.”