ByWuXiluMorethantwoyearsintothepandemic,COVID-19deathtollintheUShitthe1millionmarkinMay.“OnemillionCOVIDdeaths,onemillionemptychairsaroundthefamilydinnertable.”HowdidtheUSreachthestaggering1-millionmilestone?Herewetrytovisualizethegrimpath.InlateFebruary2020,a50-year-oldmaninWashingtonstatediedfromCOVID-19infection.Amonthlater,all50USstatesreportedcases,andthedeathtollcrossed100.Ifeachdeathismarkedwithanemptychair,thisiswhatitlookslikewhenwelineupthechairsonthelargelawnoutsideoftheWhiteHouse.StateslikeCaliforniaannouncedacompletelockdownthatrequiredpeopletostayhomeexceptforessentialneeds.InAprilofthesameyear,theUSovertookItalyasthecountrywiththemostCOVIDdeathsintheworld.Threemonthsafterthefirstreporteddeath,theUSreachedthe100,000milestone.OnMay24,2020,thefrontpageofNewYorkTimesgatheredthenamesofthedeadtomarkthe“incalculableloss”.Bytheendof2020,thecoronavirushadkilledmorethan300,000peopleacrossthecountryasthefirstvaccinationdrivestarted.ThetollwasequivalenttorepeatingatragedyonthescaleofHurricaneKatrinaeverydayfor5andahalfmonths.Thefirstmonthof2021hasbeenAmerica’sdeadliestmonthsincethepandemicoutbreak.Thevirusclaimednearly96,000livesthatmonth.Deathswererunningatabout3,150perdayonaverage.Daysafter,theUSrecordedmorethan5,000COVIDdeathsinasingledayafterdateaudit,makingFebruary4,2021thedeadliestdayduringthepandemic.TheDeltawavebroughtanothersurgetothealreadyhugedeathtoll.BytheendofOctober2021,COVID-19hadovertakenthe1918influenzaasthemostseverepandemicinmodernAmericanhistory.InSeptemberandOctober,morethan100,000peoplediedofCOVID-19.OnMarch25thisyear,everyUSstateandterritorysawanendtomaskmandatesinmostindoorsettingsastheOmicronwaveebbed.Atthattime,thenumberoftotaldeathsexceeded977,000.ByMay,just27monthsafterthefirstconfirmedCOVIDdeath,thevirushadtakenthelivesofmorethan1millionAmericans.Onepersondead,tragedy;onemilliondead,statistics.Humanbrainsarejustsobadatcomprehendinganumbersobigas1million.Wetrytohelpenvisionwhat1millionreallylookslike.Ifmeasuredintime,that’soneCOVIDdeathperminute,fornearly700days.OnemilliontollsoftheWashingtonNationalCathedralaroundtheclockwouldlast49days.Alineof1millioncasketswouldextend1290milesifsetendtoend.It’sabouthalfofthedistancefromLosAngelestoNewYork.ThenumberroughlyequalsthepopulationofSanJose.Itislikeanemptycitywithnooneinthebuilding,nooneonthestreet.“Itmeansthereareemptychairsatdiningtablesandkitchentables,whichjustmonthsagowerefilledbylovedones,bymomanddad,brothersandsisters.”Astimegoesby,thepushforareturntopre-COVIDnormalcyseemstobrushasidethestaggeringtoll.TheUShasalreadycharteditspathintonewnormalcy,butthere’snothingnormalaboutthismanydeaths,aboutthosewhoarestilldyingfromthevirus,andaboutlifewithnopolicychangesonthehorizon.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.