Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): What dental practitioners need to know

COVID-19 FAQs, page 7

7. How many cases are there in the world and in the U.S.? Where are they?

This disease is emerging at an alarming rate, and the number of cases worldwide and in the U.S. is growing each day. According to the WHO Situation Report-66 published on March 26, 462,684 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported across the globe. There have been 20,834 deaths. According to the CDC, as of March 27, 85,356 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands with 1,246 deaths. An additional 49 cases have been in persons repatriated to the U.S.: three from Wuhan and 46 from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. The most significant cluster in the U.S. at this time is in Washington state, which has had community-based transmission in a nursing home.

Undoubtedly, more cases of COVID-19 will occur both globally and in the U.S. Dental practitioners should look to the CDC and their state and local health departments for information about cases in their community as the number of cases increases.