COVID-19 testing.Photo: Getty
The United States passed a grim milestone on Tuesday, nearly two years into the coronavirus pandemic.
According to datafrom the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. recorded a single-day record-breaking high of over 441,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Dec. 27 amid the rapid spread of theomicron variantthat’s currently sweeping the nation.
The reported totals surpassed the Jan. 8 record of over 298,000 new cases reported in a single day.
The seven-day average of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. totals just over 240,000, per data from the CDC. The staggering number of cases brings thetotal amount recordedin the U.S. since January 2020 to nearly 53 million, with the total death toll rising to 816,239.
COVID-19 test.Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty
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The recommendation comes amid “science demonstrating that the majority of SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs early in the course of illness, generally in the 1-2 days prior to onset of symptoms and the 2-3 days after.”
People who test positive for the virus should isolate and quarantine for five days and wear a mask around others if asymptomatic for the following five days.
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Added Walensky: “Prevention is our best option: get vaccinated, get boosted, wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial and high community transmission, and take a test before you gather.”
As information about thecoronavirus pandemicrapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from theCDC,WHOandlocal public health departments.PEOPLE has partnered with GoFundMeto raise money for the COVID-19 Relief Fund, a GoFundMe.org fundraiser to support everything from frontline responders to families in need, as well as organizations helping communities. For more information or to donate, clickhere.
source: people.com
