A Horrifying Covid Chart Still Frightens Months Later
Outbreaks in Europe have sent new coronavirus cases rising past the elevated levels in the U.S. Now both regions are at a dangerous moment.
The coronavirus numbers don’t look good on either side of the Atlantic.
Photographer: STR/AFP via Getty Images
In late June, I highlighted what I deemed a "horrifying" chart showing massive growth in new infections in the U.S. relative to the European Union. A key explanation for the discrepancy was that many U.S. states were moving forward with reopening despite high case counts, while many European countries had waited to “crush the curve” and ensure infections were lower before loosening restrictions.
Now, almost four months later, that same chart remains very scary — but in a different way. For the first time since March, the EU is reporting more new Covid-19 cases on a population-adjusted basis than the U.S., reflecting a second wave of virus outbreaks on the continent.1 That’s even as U.S. per-capita case rates climb from an alarmingly high post-summer plateau: