The US reports 77,200 new coronavirus cases, breaking its previous record single-day spike increase in new cases by 10,000.
Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed that the previous record of 67,791 new cases was posted on July 10.
Based on a CNBC analysis of the data from Hopkins, the US has recorded over 65,400 new cases on average over the past seven days, a 22% increase compared with a week ago.
Every state has been recording new cases. Forty-four states and the District of Columbia stated that the seven-day average of daily new cases increased by more than 5% on Thursday compared with a week ago, based on the Hopkins data.
California, Florida and Texas make up for over half of all new Covid-19 infections in the country on Thursday, recording more than 38,700 new cases combined.
The rate of hospitalizations is also increasing in at least 32 states, based on a seven-day average, according to a CNBC analysis of data from the Covid Tracking Project.
Mask wearing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or CDC urges public to wear masks to get coronavirus pandemic in the US under control.
Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, believes the spread of the virus can be under control in one to two months if every American wore a mask.
“The time is now,” he said during an interview with the Journal of the American Medical Association’s Dr. Howard Bauchner. “I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now I think in four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control.”
Along with the World Health Organization (WHO), CDC calls on everyone to wear masks as a way to curb the spread of the virus. Data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed that Covid-19 infected more than 13 million people across the world and killed at least 574,600 as of Tuesday.
“I think we’re being very clear now,” Redfield stressed. “Now’s the time to wear a mask.”
Coronavirus vaccine update
The Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial presents promising data, according to a newly released report from the peer-reviewed New England Journal of Medicine.
Moderna announced that its potential coronavirus vaccine produced a “robust” immune response in all 45 patients during the early stage human trial. With this, Moderna’s stock saw a 16% increase in after-hours trading on the news.
Findings showed that all 45 patients manifested neutralizing antibodies, which scientists consider important for shaping immunity. The clinical trial provided more favorable data that the coronavirus vaccine can protect people from the disease.
The Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial gave each participant a 25, 100 or 250 microgram dose, with 15 people in each dose group. They took two doses of the potential vaccine.
A “robust” immune response in all participants unfolded in all dose cohorts after two vaccinations, according to Moderna. The company added that the levels of neutralizing antibodies in the high dose group were four times higher than in patients who recovered from Covid-19.
“These Phase 1 data demonstrate that vaccination with mRNA-1273 elicits a robust immune response across all dose levels and clearly support the choice of 100 µg in a prime and boost regimen as the optimal dose for the Phase 3 study,” Moderna’s chief medical officer, Tal Zaks, said in a statement. “We look forward to beginning our Phase 3 study of mRNA-1273 this month to demonstrate our vaccine’s ability to significantly reduce the risk of COVID-19 disease.”
