WTF Just Happened Today

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Subscribe: Get the Daily Update in your inbox for free

1/ More than 2,000 people could die every day from COVID-19 in the U.S. in April and 224,000 hospital beds – 61,000 more than the U.S. has – will be needed around April 15, when the U.S. is estimated to reach “peak resource use,” according to news projections cited by Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. Assuming social distancing continues through May, the model finds that, by August, around 82,000 people in the U.S. could die from COVID-19. Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Birx estimated that “our real number” of total coronavirus deaths is between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans – lower than the 2.2 millions estimated deaths that would occur if no distancing or mitigating measures were taken. Fauci added: “As sobering as that number is, we should be prepared for it.” Trump, meanwhile, warned of “a very, very painful two weeks” ahead. Trump’s decision to extend social distancing guidelines until April 30 came after officials reviewed 12 different statistical models that all “ended up at the same numbers.” (CNN)

• ???? Live Blogs: New York Times / Washington Post / NBC News / CNN / The Guardian / CBS News / ABC News / CNBC)

• ???? More than 181,000 confirmed cases in the U.S. and more than 3,600 dead. About 3,300 have died in China, where the outbreak originated. Globally, more than 826,222 confirmed cases and at least 41,261 deaths. (Johns Hopkins University)

• ???? Social distancing may be working, according to a database of daily fever readings produced by a medical technology firm that produces internet-connected thermometers. Health department data from New York State and Washington State have buttressed the trend that social distancing is saving lives. (New York Times)

• ✈️ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo urged Americans overseas to return home “immediately” because “We do not know how long the commercial flights in your countries may continue to operate,” and that “We can’t guarantee the U.S. government’s ability to arrange charter flights indefinitely where commercial options no longer exist.” (USA Today)

• More than 100 sailors have tested positive for the coronavirus aboard a nuclear aircraft carrier. Capt. Brett Crozier wrote in a memo to the Navy’s Pacific Fleet that “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die. If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset — our Sailors,” adding that “The spread of the disease is ongoing and accelerating.” The carrier is currently...

  Visit WTF Just Happened Today? for more news and headlines, brought to you by Matt Kiser. The WTFJHT Podcast is narrated and produced by Joe Amditis.