SPOKANE, Wash. — The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at University of Washington is considered one of the top forecasters in looking at COVID-19 trends and projections for the months ahead.
Now, the institute is predicting that the United States could see more than 200,000 deaths over the next three months, even with safety precautions.
But that number could grow even higher if Americans don't wear masks, the institute said.
According to a press release from the institute, proper mask-wearing practices could eliminate as many as 45,000 new deaths in the United States between now and Nov. 1, 2020.
The institute also said the U.S. could see another surge in cases this fall.
“The US didn’t experience a true end to the first wave of the pandemic,” said Dr. Christopher Murray, Director of IHME. “This will not spare us from a second surge in the fall, which will hit particularly hard in states currently seeing high levels of infections.”
The predictions are based on IHME's interactive online model tools, which are updated with new data from local and national governments, hospital networks, and Johns Hopkins University, among other sources.
The interactive IHME website includes a closer look at how data across the country can be used to predict death rates, the evolving relationship between testing and new viral infections, the availability of hospital resources, and even the impact on various levels of social distancing measures.
This story will be updated regularly with new data analysis on coronavirus cases and deaths in the Inland Northwest and nationwide.
For the latest coronavirus case numbers in Spokane and North Idaho, click here.