United States Could Become the New Epicenter of the Coronavirus, WHO Says

United States Could Become the New Epicenter of the Coronavirus, WHO Says

The United States could become the new epicenter of the Covid-19 global pandemic, according to the World Health Organization. The epicenter of the outbreak is currently concentrated in Europe but the possibility of a rapid increase in American cases could shift the balance.

WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris said on Tuesday that there had been a ‘very large acceleration’ in Covid-19 cases in the U.S. These increases could cause the country to become the newest epicenter of the disease.

“We are now seeing a very large acceleration in cases in the U.S.,” Harris said. “So it does have that potential. We cannot say that is the case yet but it does have that potential.”

Speaking in Geneva, Switzerland, Harris said that 85% of new Coronavirus cases over the past 24 hours were in Europe and the U.S. with 40% of those in the United States.

There are now major concerns that the Trump administration could ease the restrictions designed to contain the virus and possibly exacerbate the spread of Covid-19. On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump indicated in a tweet that he wanted to re-open the economy.

“This is not about the ridiculous Green New Deal. It is about putting our great workers and companies BACK TO WORK!” he wrote.

Other nations have introduced more severe restrictions in an effort to enforce social distancing and slow the spread of the virus. If the Trump administration decides to reverse course on physical distancing and ‘open up’ the economy, the U.S. could become the global epicenter of the disease.

Darragh Roche

Darragh Roche is Political Media Editor

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