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The husband of a Covid-19 patient prays at her bedside in the South Seven Intensive Care Unit on December 8, 2021 at North Memorial Health Hospital in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. (Photo: Aaron Lavinsky/Star Tribune via Getty Images)
"Devastating." "Tragic." "Unthinkable."
Those were some of the reactions Wednesday after NBC News reported that the number of deaths from Covid-19 in the United States has surpassed a million, less than a quarter of the way through the third year of the pandemic.
"This is far from over."
While some case counters--such Johns Hopkins' global tracker--still showed slightly lower figures on Wednesday, public health experts have long highlighted that the official numbers are lower than the true infections figures and death toll.
CNN noted last month that according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, "In the U.S., only 7% of positive cases are detected, which means that case rates are 14.5% higher than reported."
Though the United States was widely expected to top one million deaths this month, "the fact that so many have died is still appalling," Dr. Christopher Murray, who leads IHME, told NBC. He also emphasized that "this is far from over."
The "gruesome milestone" comes as the White House pressures Congress to send legislation with new pandemic funding to President Joe Biden's desk.
"The Biden administration is sounding the alarm for the urgent need for Congress to provide funding for the nation's Covid-19 response and is underscoring the severe consequences of their inaction: Fewer vaccines, treatments, and tests for the American people, and fewer shots in arms around the world," the White House said in a statement last week.
Related Content

Earlier this year, Biden requested over $22 billion to battle the pandemic at home and abroad. However, congressional leaders ultimately cut all Covid-19 funding from a sweeping spending package to ensure its passage.
A month ago, Senate Majority Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) announced a $10 billion deal that was intended to boost vaccinations and testing nationwide but did not include any funds for global aid--which one policy expert called "a victory for the virus." That agreement has since stalled in the Senate.
Even as the U.S. and other rich nations have faced criticism for hoarding Covid-19 vaccine doses and not doing enough to stand up to Big Pharma's monopoly power, research has shown that hundreds of thousands of American lives could have been saved by vaccination.
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
"Devastating." "Tragic." "Unthinkable."
Those were some of the reactions Wednesday after NBC News reported that the number of deaths from Covid-19 in the United States has surpassed a million, less than a quarter of the way through the third year of the pandemic.
"This is far from over."
While some case counters--such Johns Hopkins' global tracker--still showed slightly lower figures on Wednesday, public health experts have long highlighted that the official numbers are lower than the true infections figures and death toll.
CNN noted last month that according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, "In the U.S., only 7% of positive cases are detected, which means that case rates are 14.5% higher than reported."
Though the United States was widely expected to top one million deaths this month, "the fact that so many have died is still appalling," Dr. Christopher Murray, who leads IHME, told NBC. He also emphasized that "this is far from over."
The "gruesome milestone" comes as the White House pressures Congress to send legislation with new pandemic funding to President Joe Biden's desk.
"The Biden administration is sounding the alarm for the urgent need for Congress to provide funding for the nation's Covid-19 response and is underscoring the severe consequences of their inaction: Fewer vaccines, treatments, and tests for the American people, and fewer shots in arms around the world," the White House said in a statement last week.
Related Content

Earlier this year, Biden requested over $22 billion to battle the pandemic at home and abroad. However, congressional leaders ultimately cut all Covid-19 funding from a sweeping spending package to ensure its passage.
A month ago, Senate Majority Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) announced a $10 billion deal that was intended to boost vaccinations and testing nationwide but did not include any funds for global aid--which one policy expert called "a victory for the virus." That agreement has since stalled in the Senate.
Even as the U.S. and other rich nations have faced criticism for hoarding Covid-19 vaccine doses and not doing enough to stand up to Big Pharma's monopoly power, research has shown that hundreds of thousands of American lives could have been saved by vaccination.
"Devastating." "Tragic." "Unthinkable."
Those were some of the reactions Wednesday after NBC News reported that the number of deaths from Covid-19 in the United States has surpassed a million, less than a quarter of the way through the third year of the pandemic.
"This is far from over."
While some case counters--such Johns Hopkins' global tracker--still showed slightly lower figures on Wednesday, public health experts have long highlighted that the official numbers are lower than the true infections figures and death toll.
CNN noted last month that according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine, "In the U.S., only 7% of positive cases are detected, which means that case rates are 14.5% higher than reported."
Though the United States was widely expected to top one million deaths this month, "the fact that so many have died is still appalling," Dr. Christopher Murray, who leads IHME, told NBC. He also emphasized that "this is far from over."
The "gruesome milestone" comes as the White House pressures Congress to send legislation with new pandemic funding to President Joe Biden's desk.
"The Biden administration is sounding the alarm for the urgent need for Congress to provide funding for the nation's Covid-19 response and is underscoring the severe consequences of their inaction: Fewer vaccines, treatments, and tests for the American people, and fewer shots in arms around the world," the White House said in a statement last week.
Related Content

Earlier this year, Biden requested over $22 billion to battle the pandemic at home and abroad. However, congressional leaders ultimately cut all Covid-19 funding from a sweeping spending package to ensure its passage.
A month ago, Senate Majority Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) announced a $10 billion deal that was intended to boost vaccinations and testing nationwide but did not include any funds for global aid--which one policy expert called "a victory for the virus." That agreement has since stalled in the Senate.
Even as the U.S. and other rich nations have faced criticism for hoarding Covid-19 vaccine doses and not doing enough to stand up to Big Pharma's monopoly power, research has shown that hundreds of thousands of American lives could have been saved by vaccination.