Coronavirus Update: U.S. COVID-19 death toll jumps to daily record of more than 3,600, and hospitalizations extend record streak

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee is meeting Thursday to discuss Moderna Inc.’s MRNA, +4.84% mRNA-1273 vaccine candidate. The committee is widely expected to give mRNA-1273 a thumbs up, and the FDA is expected to follow by granting an emergency use authorization, meaning it could start being rolled out as soon as this weekend.

The first vaccine (BNT162b2) granted EUA developed by Pfizer Inc. PFE, +0.60% and Germany-based partner BioNTech SE BNTX, +0.19% started being administered on Monday.

There was a slight hiccup to BNT162b2 on Wednesday, as a health care worker, who didn’t have a history of allergies, suffered a “presumed allergic reaction” after taking the vaccine, as MarketWatch’s Jaimy Lee reported. Within 10 minutes of receiving the shot, the person reported flushing and shortness of breath, and was hospitalized.

Those are the types of risks the FDA advisory committee will be assessing when they vote on mRNA-1273. Still, with an efficacy rate of about 94%, there is likely enough of a benefit to get a green light.

There were 245,033 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, up from 201,649 on Tuesday, according to data provided by the New York Times. The death toll rose to a record 3,611, well above the previous record of 3,157 set on Dec. 9.

The daily average of new cases over the past week rose to 211,008 from 206,557 on Tuesday, and was 29% above the average two weeks earlier.

Overall, the U.S. has recorded 17,068,357 COVID-19 cases, and 308,908 deaths as of Thursday afternoon, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

Hospitalizations have kept increasing, reaching 113,090 on Wednesday to break the record of 112,814 set the day before. Hospitalizations have hit records every day since Dec. 6.

The number of states that had positivity rates for COVID-19 tests of at least 5%, which the World Health Organization deemed a dangerous threshold, increased to 48 from 47 the day before, according to JHU data.

COVID-19 isn’t discriminating, as France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, and a police dog working at a Hong Kong airport also tested positive, a week after the dog’s handler tested positive.

Meanwhile, despite the continued surge in cases, hospitalizations and deaths, there has been some pushback on the vaccine. Many health care workers, who are first in line to get the vaccine, are skeptical about taking it, because they are concerned about side effects and are distrustful of the government, as Barron’s reported.

Also read from The Wall Street Journal: COVID-19 vaccine trial volunteers note occasional harsh side effects.

In attempt to assuage concerns about the vaccine, Vice President Mike Pence plans to get the vaccine live on TV on Friday. President-elect Joe Biden is slated to get a shot early next week.

Global tallies

The number of global confirmed cases of COVID-19 grew to 74,632,358 as of Thursday afternoon, according to JHU data, and the death toll reached 1,656,403. At least 42.2 million people have recovered.

The U.S. was by far the world leader as it accounted for 22.9% of the cases and 18.6% of the deaths.

Brazil had the second most deaths at 183,735 and third most cases at 7,040,608, while India was second in cases at 9,956,557 and third in deaths at 144,451.

Mexico was fourth in deaths at 115,769 and 13th in cases at 1,277,499.

Italy had the fifth most deaths globally, and the most in Europe, at 67,220, and was eighth globally in cases at 1,906,377. The U.K. was sixth with a death toll of 66,150, and was seventh in cases at 1,954,266.

Russia was fourth globally, and led Europe with 2,736,727 cases, and was 10th in deaths at 48,568. Germany rose to 14th in deaths at 24,529, from 15th on Wednesday, and remained 12th in cases at 1,436,966.

China, where the virus was first discovered late last year, has had 94,722 confirmed cases and 4,758 deaths.