New COVID-19 deaths in the United States have again exceeded 1,000, and top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says it’s possible a vaccine could come sooner than expected.
Sept.2 (UPI) — New COVID-19 deaths in the United States have again exceeded 1,000, and top infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci says it’s possible a vaccine could come sooner than expected. Data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University showed September started with 43,200 new cases nationwide on Tuesday — an increase of nearly 10,000 over Monday’s figure — and almost 1,100 new deaths. While the new case figure was higher, it was still below the August average of 47,300 cases per day. Tuesday’s deaths topped 1,000 for the first time in several days. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 6.09 million cases and 185,100 deaths in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins data. Fauci said Tuesday a vaccine could be available earlier if current clinical trials produce significantly positive results. He told Kaiser Health News that an independent board could end a trial weeks early if the cumulative results are overwhelmingly positive or negative. He added that the board would have a «moral obligation» to end the trial early if data is so good that «you can [conclude] it’s safe and effective.» Several vaccines are in development worldwide, including at Pfizer, Novavax, Moderna and AstraZenica.
