This is Coronavirus 411, the latest COVID-19 info and new hotspots… Just the facts… for December 2nd, 2020.

The European Union drug agency said it may need four more weeks to approve its first vaccine, the one from Pfizer, but could do so by Dec. 29. And fast as that is, it’s not as fast as hoped. Germany was preparing to start immunizing starting in mid-December.

Nearly 37,000 Americans died of COVID-19 just in November, straining hospitals, morgues, and funeral homes. November's toll was much lower than the 60,699 in April but very close to the next-highest total in May.

A study published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, based on blood donations, says the virus was here in the U.S. weeks earlier than scientists thought, and before cases in China were publicized. The first U.S. case was confirmed January 20, but infections may have been present in December 2019. That adds to evidence the virus was well underway around the world before anybody was aware.

There’s at least one person that sure hopes China’s experimental vaccine really works. Japanese intelligence says it was given to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his family. But experts on North Korea, including defectors, say there’s no way that happened. A) Kim would never risk it, B) he has plenty of places to safely isolate, and C) he would prefer a proven European vaccine.

In the “what are people thinking” department, at least 41 out of 300 swingers were infected after couples passed around the virus at a New Orleans convention. The organizer of the 5-day Naughty in N'awlins event said they did everything they could to stay safe but in hindsight, maybe they shouldn’t have had it.

The top 10 counties with the highest number of recent cases per capita according to The New York Times: Powell, MT. Crowley, CO. Dewey, SD. Brewster, TX. Presidio, TX. Crockett, TX. Crawford, WI. Ellis, OK. Hudspeth, TX. And Comanche, KS.

There are now 5,498,496 active cases in the United States. The current Top 10 states by number of active cases: California, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Michigan, New York surpasses Virginia, then Maryland.

The five states with the most daily new cases per capita over 7 days are Montana, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, and North Dakota.

The reproduction rate is currently highest in Oregon, New Hampshire, Washington, New York, and Mississippi. The states with the lowest reproduction rate are North Dakota, Illinois, Iowa, Montana, and South Dakota.

There’ve been a total 270,509 deaths in the US reported as COVID-related, with a current national fatality rate of 2%.

The states with the most new deaths reported as COVID-related: Texas 237. Michigan 195. Pennsylvania 170. Illinois 146. Indiana 141. Missouri 134. Ohio 119. California 113. Wisconsin 107. And Florida and New Jersey 84.

Globally, there are now 18,264,375 active cases.

There are 519,657 new cases around the world in the last 24 hours against a high of 656,099 on November 12.

The five countries with the most new cases: the United States 182,172. Brazil 52,248. India 36,456. Turkey 30,110. And Russia 26,402.

There have now been 1,478,923 deaths reported as Covid-related worldwide. Up 14% over 14 days.

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