As of June 3, 2020, the number of both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of the COVID-19 disease reported in the United States had reached 1,827,425 with 106,202 deaths reported among these cases.
Cases in the United States
The COVID-19 disease has been reported in approximately 210 countries and territories worldwide. In the United States, the first cases were detected in travelers to the country; person-to-person spread was subsequently reported among close contacts of returned travelers. However, the United States is now reporting widespread community transmission, meaning that human infection is spreading without a chain of transmission, i.e., it is not known how or where patients became exposed.
Where has this coronavirus come from?
Coronaviruses are a large group of viruses transmitted between animals and people that cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. The novel coronavirus that is currently infecting humans was already circulating among certain animal species. The first human case of this new coronavirus strain was reported in China at the end of December 2019. The coronavirus was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and its associated disease is known as COVID-19.