White House releases new death toll projection

The COVID-19 outbreak could kill between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans, according to the White House. Practicing social distancing is “a matter of life and death,” President Donald Trump said at a Tuesday briefing.

Is that the worst-case scenario? The projected death toll assumes Americans continue social distancing, including avoiding large gatherings, limiting travel, and staying home when possible. The projections could skyrocket to between 1.5 million and 2.2 million deaths if Americans flout those recommendations, infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said. “There’s no magic bullet, there’s no magic vaccine,” Birx said. “It’s just behaviors.” The protections led Trump to extend social distancing guidelines through the end of April. As of midday Wednesday, the outbreak had killed 4,000 Americans, with more than 7,000 others who have recovered, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Dig deeper: Read Sophia Lee’s report on the economic costs the virus is exacting on the food service industry.