Here's where yesterday led us and how quickly we worked up to where we are now...
ALL THESE, FRIDAY, 7/17/20:
At 7:34am
Confirmed cases worldwide - 13,829,005
Deaths worldwide - 590,914
Confirmed cases US - 3,599,149
Deaths US - 139,345
At 10am 7/17/20:
Confirmed cases worldwide - 13,846,614
Deaths worldwide - 591,176
Confirmed cases US - 3,616,758
Deaths US - 139,607
At 11:02am 7/17/20:
Confirmed cases worldwide - 13,848,718
Deaths worldwide - 591,184
Confirmed cases US - 3,618,862
Deaths US - 139,615
At 11:08am 7/17/20:
Confirmed cases worldwide - 13,851,017
Deaths worldwide - 591,213
Confirmed cases US - 3,621,161
Deaths US - 139,644
At 2:04pm 7/17/20:
Confirmed cases worldwide - 13,860,199
Deaths worldwide - 591,311
Confirmed cases US - 3,630,343
Deaths US - 139,742
At 2:06pm 7/17/20:
Confirmed cases worldwide - 13,862,478 *
Deaths worldwide - 591,330 *
Confirmed cases US - 3,632,622
Deaths US - 139,761
At 8:01pm 7/17/20 - domestic data only
Confirmed cases US - 3,649,807
Deaths US - 139,950 - ** we'll be at 140-thousand American deaths tomorrow (if indeed we're not there, at this hour, already).
At 11:25am THIS MORNING, SATURDAY, JULY 18:
Confirmed cases worldwide - 14,151,123 *
Deaths worldwide - 603,950 *
Confirmed cases US - 3,691,368
Deaths US - 140,544 **
SHEESH - Look at the new milestones... only one of which I was expecting. I put asterisks (*, **) by them. I did not expect the global stats to leap new hurdles like they did. Didn't notice as closely, probably because I was watching for the domestic death figure to hit and surpass 140-thousand.
More than 14-million cases worldwide. *
More than 600-thousand deaths worldwide. *
And now, more than 140-thousand deaths here in our poor battered and brutalized America. **
Holy cow ... the very idea that we'd reach almost a quarter-million deaths by the end of the year, is no longer that far-fetched. We're more than halfway there, right now.
And don't forget to multiply that by:
The number of mothers crying.
The number of fathers heartbroken.
The number of brothers and sisters in shock and agony and regret.
The number of sons and daughters who will have to go on without Mom or Dad - or, worse, both.
The number of kids who'll never make cookies with Grandma or learn to whistle with Grandpa - ever again.
The number of friends, coworkers, and neighbors shaken because their prayers for recovery didn't work.
The number of everybody now even more deeply frightened.
In COVID, we are ALL casualties. In one way or another. We all deep down wish for our America to be somehow brought back together, not riven by our increasingly deep and intransigent divisions. I don't think ANYBODY wanted all of us gathered again into one tent like this. "One nation, under God," the "United States," "E Pluribus Unum," and all that. But it's forcibly reuniting us nonetheless. A different kind of common thread. It's the one tie that's gonna bind us all, in one way or another.