The diverging directions of trends in daily new cases (red) and deaths (blue) have driven some Americans to question whether the virus is as deadly as it was in March - but experts say that it's who is getting infected and tested, not the deadliness, that has changed - and a death spike may be yet to come in mid-July
Daily Mail: Why are US coronavirus deaths NOT rising quickly despite increasing infection rates across the nation? Experts say younger people are getting infected and surviving - but fear fatalities could still spike by mid-July
* Even as US case numbers rise, fueled by steep increases in states like Arizona, Texas and Florida, the national number of daily deaths continues to decline
* Testing has increased by some three-fold in the last several weeks, which experts told DailyMail.com accounts for much of the rise in cases
* But, they caution, the younger population that is now disproportionately testing positive means that a lag between case and death increases could be longer than it was in March or April
* Infectious disease and evolutionary biologist expert told DailyMail.com he still expects an uptick in deaths in states not yet seeing one by mid-July
Between 40,000 and 50,000 Americans have tested positive for coronavirus on a daily basis since late-June, up from a seven-day rolling average of about 20,000 infections a day at the end of May.
The rises have prompted weeks of escalating worry and anxious anticipation of hospitals becoming overwhelmed all over again and the death toll surging.
But, up until now, they haven't.
Deaths across the country have been trending downwards even as the number of infections surge to levels not seen throughout the pandemic.
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WNU Editor: It is too early to make any conclusions that death rates are not going to climb as quickly as infection rates. If there is anything that we have learned about this coronavirus, it is that it is surprising us everyday. And while I do hope that this trend of lower death rates continues, it is still best to prepare and expect the worse scenarios.
