The number of coronavirus-related deaths in Veterans Affairs facilities spiked 13% over the weekend as the institution grapples with the spread of the highly contagious virus among its patients.
As of Monday morning, VA has reported 5,476 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and 339 patients have died. The number marks a sharp increase from 301 deaths as of Friday.
The U.S., which has a population of 328 million, has reported more than 761,000 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, inculding 40,724 deaths and 71,011 recoveries.
New York City, which has been the hardest-hit city by coronavirus in the U.S., is home to four VA facilities that have seen about a third of the total fatalities within the system.
The latest data implies that the death rates among patients who have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in VA facilities is more than 6%. The national death rate from the coronavirus is approximately 4%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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