Family members of those who've died from COVID-19 reflect on the milestone of 500,000 U.S. deaths, and how their individual loss fits within the magnitude of that number.
Data also show more than 230,000 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday and that 113,090 Americans were hospitalized with the virus — a number that's been on the rise.
Before COVID-19 came along, the world wasn't so great at counting deaths and understanding why people die. But the virus has propelled countries to ramp up their efforts.
A forecast of 3,000 deaths a day appeared in an internal document first obtained by The New York Times. But the epidemiologist who authored the analysis tells NPR the work is incomplete.
With more residents staying indoors, fewer Indians are dying from road and train accidents, leading to a drop in overall mortality. Crime is also down.