Washington (US), January 15: As the United States rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine remains slow, and death tolls continue to surge amid rising coronavirus cases, Washington has mobilised national resources to issue the inoculation to as many people as possible.
Members of Arizona State University's COVID-19 computer modeling team, during a Thursday pandemic update, warned that the virus could soon become the leading cause of death in the state.
On average, around 12,000 Arizona residents annually die from heart disease, and a further 12,000 die of cancer, said Dr. Josh LaBaer, executive director of ASU's Biodesign Institute, local outlet AZFamily reported.
However, as coronavirus-related deaths in the state move beyond 10,855, according to current data, COVID-19 could soon be the leading cause of death, LaBaer said.
LaBaer warned that to slow the spread of the pandemic in the state to a significant degree and reduce coronavirus deaths, at least 50% of residents must receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The Arizona vaccine rollout has reflected the leisurely speed of vaccine introduction seen at the national level.
As of Wednesday, the United States has seen 23.2 million confirmed cases and over 380,000 deaths, according to data collated by the Johns Hopkins Institute.
Source: Sputnik