Coronavirus update – July 23rd
Bottom Line: This daily update is designed to put everything in perspective with straight-forward facts. No hyperbole, no misinformation, no nonsense. Wednesday brought about the highest daily case count around the world yet. It also was the deadliest since April 21st. Thankfully the news improved the closer to home you looked. In the US the daily case count was the 5th highest to date, though it was the deadliest, with more than 1,200 Americans dying, since May 29th. Still, the seven-day moving average of cases declined once again and has been on the decline since Sunday.
Here’s where we stand as of now...
Worldwide:
- 15,382,848 – 630,369 deaths – 9,356,375 recovered
Nationally:
- 4,101,000 cases – 146,185 deaths – 1,942,815 recovered
Florida:
- 369,834 cases – 5,207 deaths - 39,217 recovered
In Florida, Wednesday continued the improved trend of lower average daily cases, with a second consecutive day below 10,000. As of now, Friday marked the seven-day peak of the pandemic in Florida if we can continue with improving case counts. Fingers crossed. The 140 related deaths reported were the second highest of the pandemic, however this was expected given last week’s peak in cases. South Florida remains the epicenter of the pandemic in Florida. There are 143 zip codes in South Florida which are hotspots including 27 in Palm Beach County, 46 in Broward and 70 in Miami-Dade. Hospitalization rates remain at their highest levels of the pandemic.
The overall positive test rate continues to rise in Florida, though the positive test rate remains questionable after it was revealed that certain medical labs in Florida only reported the positive results starting around July 4th. It’s currently unclear what the extent of the impact is on the state’s overall numbers and if those labs have since reported all negative cases as well. After reaching a low of 5.2% in early June, the rate since testing began has risen to 12% - including testing at greater than 10% positive, the target rate, each day since June 22nd. The average age of someone diagnosed with the virus in Florida remains 40. While more Floridians have been diagnosed between the ages of 25-34 than any other ten-year window, the recent increase in average age demonstrates spread from younger adults to older adults most recently. This reinforces the importance of using proper safety measures like wearing masks in public and socially distancing.
Florida is 3rd in total cases, while the state is 8th in deaths. Florida is the third most populous state. Since the onset of the pandemic we've fared in-line with overall cases, while better than average with outcomes. The closed case death rate for those diagnosed with the virus remains at 6% worldwide - which is the lowest since March 11th and equals the lowest rate during the pandemic. The rate currently sits at 7% in the US, which is the lowest yet, and appears likely to continue to fall. The increase in testing combined with improved treatment options for those critically ill, is clearly making a positive difference. With over 146,000 deaths attributed to COVID-19, it is the deadliest virus in the United States since the 1918 pandemic which killed over 675,000 Americans.