Milestone in COVID deaths is unfathomable

Tools can prevent more loss, but only if we use them

We measure milestones in numbers, and this week, the nation passed a grim one.

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 hit 1 million Monday, according to the Associated Press. It’s an unfathomable number, a serious reminder of the impact COVID has had on our lives.

The news comes a week after the Biden Administration issued a new warning about COVID, cautioning Americans that the country could see more than 100 million COVID-19 infections this fall and winter, CNN reports.

Right now, the U.S. is averaging about 300 COVID-19 deaths a day, the AP reports. New cases are already on the rise nationwide, climbing more than 60% in the past two weeks to an average of 86,000 a day, the AP notes.

In Yuma County, as of Monday, the community level for COVID-19 is still classified as low. And according to the most recent weekly update from the Arizona Department of Health Services on May 11, Yuma County had 35 new cases the previous week and one death. For reference, in the March 4 update, we had 31 new cases and 8 deaths.

COVID-19 is still very much an issue, but it’s one that we are now better prepared to handle, thanks to research and information about COVID-19 that was absent at the start of the pandemic. We know how to prevent infections, and how to reduce our risk. We now have vaccinations, more accurate testing options and antiviral treatments that can help lessen the severity of an infection.

And the antiviral medications are pretty amazing. “If taken early enough after infection, these drugs can stop the virus from replicating, reducing the chance of severe illness and death by more than 80 percent,” the San Diego Union Tribune notes.

These treatments are now available in Yuma County, although they must be prescribed by a health care provider. The CDC recommends contacting your primary care physician as soon as you test positive to see if you are eligible for an antiviral treatment, even if symptoms are mild at the moment. The anti-viral drugs are only available to patients who are at-risk, but the list of at-risk illnesses and conditions is fairly lengthy, so it’s worth asking about.

Or, you can check out a Test to Treat location, which is a testing location that can provide treatment if you test positive and are eligible for such treatments. Find a clinic at https://covid-19-test-to-treatlocator-dhhs.hub.arcgis.com/.

And that’s the last important note here, readers. Testing does still matter, but thanks to the accessibility to at-home testing, it’s hard to truly gauge what’s happening in any community. If you have symptoms, get tested, and then take the next steps as necessary.

At this point, we’re all suffering from more than a little COVID-19 fatigue. It’s hard to hear the same message over and over and over again. We feel a bit like a broken record here.

What matters is taking action as appropriate to protect yourself and your loved ones, getting tested as needed, and if you are at risk, tracking down the antiviral medications to help. These tools can help save lives, and to us, that’s critical.

After all, one million people aren’t coming home again because of COVID-19. That’s one million mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, daughters and sons who won’t sit down at the dinner table tonight, whose deaths have left a hole in the souls of their loved ones. To each of those families, our hearts are with you.

Stay safe out there, readers.