Nearly 135,000 Americans were forecast to die from COVID-19 through the beginning of August, almost double the last prediction, due to loosening of lockdowns, according to an updated forecast from the University of Washington on Monday.
The university's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) said the sharp increase from its last estimate in mid-April reflected rising mobility and the easing of social distancing measures in 31 states by May 11.
Used by the White House, the institute's models tie the increased deaths to increasing contacts among people that promote transmission of the novel coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 respiratory disease.