The U.S. reached another bleak milestone in the COVID-19 pandemic Wednesday, as Johns Hopkins University reports that 150,000 Americans have now died of the virus.
By comparison, about 116,000 Americans died in World War I, according to Encyclopedia Britannica All recorded U.S. deaths have come in the span of just under six months.
The U.S. continues to lead the world in deaths linked to the coronavirus. Brazil, with a death toll of about 88,000, is currently the only other country with more than 50,000 deaths.
The U.S. currently has more than 4.3 million confirmed cases of the virus, also the most among all world nations.
In recent days, the U.S. has seen daily confirmed cases drop slightly, following several consecutive days of near-record case increases. The spread of the virus in hotspots like Arizona, Florida and Texas appears to be slowing.
However, Dr. Anthony Fauci — the nation's top expert on infectious diseases — says he is concerned that hotspots could begin moving to Midwest states. Cases are beginning to tick up in places like Missouri, Nebraska and Colorado.