US COVID-19 toll 11, Trump admin to intensify focus on senior citizens

The overall coronavirus death toll in the US has increased to 11 with the first fatality outside Washington state, even as President Donald Trump's administration has decided to focus the full power of its public health resources on infection control for the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions and cancer survivors, based on the age and medical profile of victims both in America and outside.


Sharing data from cases in South Korea and Italy, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Deborah Birx said that nobody in South Korea under 30 years had died from COVID-19.

The median age of those who succumbed was 81 and the median age for those who became ill was 60 years, she said.

"This data is reassuring but it has also caused us to focus on those Americans who may be most vulnerable", Birx said, explaining the US government strategy.

Birx and others leading the US response underlined the "significantly greater risk" to the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions like heart disease, diabetes and people recovering from cancer.

According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most patients with confirmed COVID-19 have developed fever and/or symptoms of acute respiratory illness, which include cough and difficulty in breathing.

Globally, more than 92,000 people have tested positive and 3,100 have died, the vast majority of them in China.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration greatly relaxed testing rules allowing anyone who has symptoms like a fever, cough or breathing difficulty to receive a test if a doctor agrees.

"Ultimately, our objective is that any American is able to go to their doctor and any lab and get the coronavirus test," Vice President Mike Pence said at a White House briefing on Wednesday.

The US government is saying 1.5 million tests will likely be possible this week in hospitals.

In addition, Pence said "every state health lab and University lab can now conduct a coronavirus test".

"Our objective, as quickly as possible, is to have the tests commercially available, where your doctor or pharmacy can perform a test," Pence said.

On Wednesday, key lawmakers in the House and Senate scrambled to push through $8.3 billion in emergency funding to battle the virus that has killed more than 3,000 across the globe.

The Senate is likely to pass the measure on Thursday which more than triples Trump's funding request.

Cases in New York grew from one to 10 in the space of one night. A lawyer in his 50s is said to have infected nine others in the New York City suburb of New Rochelle in Westchester County, a popular residential location for convenient public transport connections into midtown Manhattan.

California, Washington and Florida have declared emergencies. Some Seattle area schools have closed, many schools around the US have begun testing viability of remote learning, workers of every creed are on edge, anxiety and the smell of disinfectant is virtually everywhere. IANS