Another US coronavirus record; vaccine shipments reduced

First, resa Pirozzi’s 85-year-old d got sick and was rushed to hospital in an ambulance. Days later, her mom was so weak she could barely walk. w, inste of getting rey for Christmas, Pirozzi is anxiously awaiting updates from hospital where both of her parents are in intensive care with coronavirus.

“I’m t putting up decorations in here. It’s just t right, right w,” Pirozzi said from her parents’ home in Oak Park, California. “I’m physically ill from worry." couple is emblematic of crisis deepening at an alarming rate in California, where hospitals are being stretched to ir limits as virus explodes across state. Nearly 17,000 people were hospitalized with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infections as of Friday and a state model that uses current data to forecast future trends shows number could reach an unfathomable 75,000 by mid-January.

With California's more than 48,000 new cases leing way, United States as a whole ded a record 249,709 new cases of COVID-19 in one day, according to Johns Hopkins University. An ditional 2,814 people died nationwide, pushing death toll to more than 313,000. Texas, Florida, New York and Tennessee all recorded more than 10,400 new cases each. Over past two weeks, seven-day rolling aver for new cases in U.S. jumped to 219,324 daily from 183,787, an increase of almost 20%.

Cases were on rise before Thanksgiving, and holiday garings sent m even higher. Health officials w fear increase will only be compounded through Christmas and New Year’s. In many places, health officials say, people tired of wearing face masks and staying away from ors are simply disregarding suggested precautions.

While federal regulators have approved two vaccines to combat illness and doses alrey have been given to thousands of people, mainly health care workers, widespre vaccinations for general public aren't expected before spring. Several states have said federal government told m that next week’s shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will be smaller than originally projected. Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines out across U.S. apologized Saturday for “miscommunication” with states over number of doses to be delivered in early sts of distribution.

In ar potential complication, England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, said Saturday U.K. h informed World Health Organization that officials believe a new variant of coronavirus can spre more rapidly. Britain’s health secretary said this week that new variant was believed to be linked to rapid surge of COVID-19 cases in south and souastern England.

In California, hospitals across state are buckling under a surge of patients and morgue is running low. Hospitals are running out of intensive care unit beds and patients are being cared for at several overflow locations. In some places, sick are being trid in tents and ambulances are backing up outside emergency rooms because re is where to put patients.

When Pirozzi’s far, Jerry, arrived at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousands Oaks, it was so packed with patients that he h to spend two days in emergency room before an intensive care bed opened up, Pirozzi said. She kept calling hospital, but ER nurses told her y h rooms, she said.

“I’m sure that was very difficult for him, being confused, t being able to brea, being alone,” Pirozzi said. “y're doing best y can, but y are just completely stressed and overworked." Her mor, Shirley, was taken to same hospital four days later and was moved into a separate room, she said. Pirozzi said her family hasn't told Jerry that his wife of more than 57 years is also hospitalized; she fears that would only make him worse.

“I want him to be a little stronger so it doesn’t roll him backwards,” she said. “Because I kw all he cares about is his bride.”Pirozzi said both of her parents have been having panic attacks. Since family members can't visit, she has been delivering written tes in a plastic bag that she asks nurses to re to m.She pleed with public to take virus seriously. “I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, having m both go down within five or seven days of each or,” she said. “Do whatever you can to protect yourself because you don't want to have this happen to you."

(Im Credit: AP)