More than 13,000 people in the US have gotten the coronavirus, and more than 170 have died.

The US ranks sixth on the list of countries with the highest number of coronavirus cases. And the country’s outbreak appears to be getting worse over time — its epidemic growth curve looks like a steep staircase, with each day bringing a new record number of new confirmed cases.

For a month or so following the first confirmed US case, the number of infected people remained low: less than 15 cases. Then on February 28 — the day after the US’ first case of community spread was reported — the number of cases started to rise each day, and that trend hasn’t stopped.

Between March 10 and March 13, the number of new US cases tripled — in part due to the increase of coronavirus testing in state and private labs around the country. Between March 16 and March 18, the number of cases doubled again, from about 5,600 to more than 13,000.

Cases have now been reported in all 50 states and Washington, DC. The illness has also spread to Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.

The …continued .
[Source: Business Insider]