BREAKING: Coronavirus cases surpass 1 million worldwide

More than a million cases of the novel coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide while authorities in the United States continue issuing strict measures to slow down the spread of the virus. As of Thursday afternoon, at least 1,002,159 people have been infected globally and 51,485 people have died from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. The total includes confirmed cases from 180 countries and regions.

In the United States — now the country hardest-hit by the pandemic — more than 90% of the population is under orders to stay at home in an effort to limit the spread of the virus that has already infected more than 236,000 people from coast to coast.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, said Thursday the country can still defy alarming projections of coronavirus deaths with aggressive measures — even as scientists warn the White House that simply exhaling may be enough to spread the virus.

Models had showed that the US death toll could be at least 100,000 with aggressive social distancing, White House experts said earlier, and as high as 2.2 million without them. But, “it’s within our power to modify those numbers,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told “CBS This Morning” on Thursday.

“If you really push hard on mitigation … you can modify the model,” Fauci said. “We need to push and push with the mitigation to try and get that number lower than the projected number.” As of Thursday, at least 236,339 people in the United States have been infected and at least 5,648 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University statistics. More than 920 of those deaths were reported Wednesday — the highest number reported in the country since the beginning of the outbreak.

Fauci’s comments come after a prestigious scientific panel told the White House on Wednesday night that coronavirus can be spread not just by sneezes and coughs, but also by talking or maybe even just breathing. “While the current (coronavirus) specific research is limited, the results of available studies are consistent with aerosolization of virus from normal breathing,” according to a letter written by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of a committee with the National Academy of Sciences.

With the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimating 25% of coronavirus carriers have no symptoms, health officials such as Fauci have said they’re considering whether to recommend the general public wear non-hospital-grade masks to prevent the virus’s spread.

In Laredo, Texas, city officials have ordered all residents older than 5 to cover their noses and mouths with “some form of covering,” including homemade masks, scarfs and bandanas, when entering a building open to the public, using public transportation or when pumping gas.

Residents could receive fines of up to $1,000 for not complying with the order that went into effect Thursday.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti had recommended Wednesday that people there wear non-medical-grade masks, or face coverings such as bandanas, when they’re in public. “Please do not get medical-grade or surgical masks, or N95 masks. We must not contribute to the shortage of these essential personal protective equipment for medial personnel and first responders,” he said.