BALTIMORE — The United States set a record of more than 126,400 confirmed coronavirus cases in a single day on Friday.
The seven-day rolling average of new daily cases in the U.S. is approaching 100,000 for the first time, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Total U.S. cases since the start of the pandemic are nearing 10 million, and confirmed cases globally are approaching 50 million.
Worldwide infection numbers are also setting records. The world reached 400,000 daily confirmed cases on Oct. 15; 500,000 on Oct. 26, and 600,000 on Friday.
The seven-day rolling average for daily deaths in the U.S. rose in the past two weeks from 772 on Oct. 23 to 911 on Friday. Those numbers were higher in the spring and August.
The global death toll hit a daily record of 11,024 confirmed deaths on Wednesday.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages everyone to continue wearing cloth masks in public.
It also encourages handwashing often and with soap and water for at least 20 seconds to prevent the spread of the virus. The CDC says this should be done after someone has been in a public place, after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezing. If soap and water aren't available, hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol will work just as well.
