The numbers were grim, changed constantly, and told only part of the story. As of early June there were nearly 6 million diagnosed cases of COVID-19 worldwide, with over 350,000 deaths and 2.3 million recovered. Of those, over 1.6 million patients and nearly 100,000 deaths were in the United States. With only a small percentage of Americans tested, it was likely that the true number infected was far higher. Dozens of states were taking the first steps toward easing stay-at-home orders, at times spurred by “reopen” protests. Many nonessential businesses remained closed, and most Americans hadn’t sat down at a restaurant or gone to a movie theater in months. Conspiracy theories swirled, unemployment skyrocketed, economies sunk, and there were scattered reports of panic, shortages, and hoarding.
Credit: Celestia Ward
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