# disaster
The United States reported nearly half a million new COVID infections in a single day, the highest daily number of infections of any country during the pandemic. More than 486,000 new cases were reported in 24 hours, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday.
The average daily HIV infections in 15 states report a record: Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Washington state. Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., are also averaging more daily cases than ever before.
With the Omicron variant spreading rapidly, COVID-19 cases are rising so fast that it's estimated that more than three Americans are testing positive every second, according to the CDC. In New York, cases have increased 11 percent since Wednesday.
Hospitalizations are at their highest level since September, with more than 81,000 COVID patients hospitalized nationwide, according to the CDC. CDC models suggest that more than 42,000 Americans could die in the next three weeks.