American needs a president who takes the virus seriously.

Trump campaign rallies are known super-spreader events, yet he continues to put American lives at risk.

Yesterday 45 more people in Wisconsin died due to COVID, bringing the death toll to 1,897.

As of Wednesday, there were a record 1,439 people hospitalized with the virus in the state, including 339 patients in intensive care units. Hospitalizations have more than doubled in the last month.

ICU beds are expected to start running short in the state in the next two weeks as infections continue to surge.

Wisconsin's seven-day average positivity rate is 27.2%, the highest ever. The rate is the number of residents who have tested positive for the first time divided by the number of residents who have ever been tested.

Given the trajectory of new cases, the number of COVID-19 patients being treated could double in two to six weeks, said Bill Melms, chief medical officer for Marshfield Clinic Health System.

“There is nothing magical about this math,” Melms said. “Every single positive increases the probability or likelihood of having another patient who is hospitalized.”

Hospitals across the state already are straining to respond to the crisis, with exhausted staffs picking up extra shifts and working long hours.

Approximately 3.5% of COVID patients end up in the hospital. But about one in four of those patients require ICU care.

A hospital stay due to COVID can also carry a hefty price tag.

Nationally, the median charge amount for COVID-19 inpatient care – the amount for people without insurance or who went out of network – was $45,683 for people aged 51 to 60 and $34,662 for those in the 23 to 30 age bracket.

For commercially insured patients, inpatient services would cost about $38,000. For Medicare and Medicaid patients, the cost was about $10,000.

The total COVID-19 treatment cost for payers could be as high as $546.6 billion, according to an America's Health Insurance Plans study.

Trump has held several events in Wisconsin in the past 2 weeks and plans to continue to hold “super-spreader” events in Wisconsin: large-scale rallies of unmasked, non-socially distanced supporters who yell and scream, all factors which spread the virus, according to public health experts.

Joe Biden has taken the virus seriously and followed the advice of public health experts, doctors and scientists. Donald Trump hasn't even been able to protect himself, his family or his staff from the virus.

Joe Biden has a comprehensive plan to slow the spread of the virus and build America's economy back better. You can read more about Joe's plans here.

Sources:

Wisconsin reports 3,800 new cases, 45 deaths and a record-high seven-day positivity rate of 27.2%

Trump’s campaign made stops nationwide. Coronavirus cases surged in his wake.

As the crush of COVID cases continues, Wisconsin is on track to run short of ICU beds.

Trump super-spreader events are immoral and criminal

Hospitalized care for COVID-19