Model shows Florida will hit daily COVID-19 death record; safety measures can curb outlook

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Ali Mokdad. Credit: WINK News.

Since the start of the pandemic, more than 22,000 people have died of COVID-19 in Florida. According to one model, the state has not hit its peak yet, and we are looking at nearly 200 Floridians dying a day due to COVID-19.

The University of Washington’s latest model shows, if our precautions, preventive measures and restrictions stay the same, we will hit a new daily death record Jan. 26 with more than 181 Floridians losing their lives to COVID-19.

But after that new peak, the death rate should drop off.

“What you have seen in Florida, specifically in Florida, Arizona, Texas, California, when cases were up, people in Florida were more likely to wear a mask, more likely to stay at home,” said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics science at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

The model shows, if we implement universal masking here in Florida, we should stay under August’s daily death record.

We would hit the peak Sunday instead of continuing the current climb.

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