Coronavirus updates: 23-year-old college student dies from COVID-19

Jamesha Waddell, a senior at Livingstone College, died Thursday.

ByMorgan Winsor, Emily Shapiro, Erin Schumaker, Ivan Pereira, Jon Haworth, and Meredith Deliso
Last Updated: November 23, 2020, 2:19 PM EST

A pandemic of the novel coronavirus has now killed more than 1.3 million people worldwide.

Over 58.7 million people across the globe have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new respiratory virus, according to data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. The actual numbers are believed to be much higher due to testing shortages, many unreported cases and suspicions that some national governments are hiding or downplaying the scope of their outbreaks. The criteria for diagnosis -- through clinical means or a lab test -- has also varied from country to country.

The United States is the worst-affected nation, with more than 12.2 million diagnosed cases and at least 256,783 deaths.

Nearly 200 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are being tracked by the World Health Organization, at least 10 of which are in crucial phase three studies. Of those 10 potential vaccines in late-stage trials, there are currently five that will be available in the United States if approved.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Nov 17, 2020, 8:55 PM EST

1 in 4 US hospitals nearing capacity ICU beds: HHS

Twenty-five percent of the nation's hospitals have more than 80% of their intensive care unit beds filled, according to an internal memo by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that was obtained by ABC News.

The jump in hospitalizations came after the country saw new increases in coronavirus metrics over the last week, according to the agency.

Medical staff examine a patient suffering from coronavirus in the COVID-19 intensive care unit at United Memorial Medical Center on Nov. 16, 2020, in Houston.
Go Nakamura/Getty Images

Between Nov. 10 and Nov. 16, nearly 1.1 million new cases were confirmed in the country, a 35.2% increase from the previous seven-day period, according to the memo.

The positivity rate in the country surpassed 10% over the last week, HHS said.

The U.S. saw 8,501 new COVID-19 deaths from Nov. 10 to Nov. 16, which marked a 11.8% increase from the previous week, the memo said.

ABC News' Josh Margolin contributed to this report.

Nov 17, 2020, 8:40 PM EST

US deaths hit highest mark since May

The COVID Tracking Project said coronavirus-related deaths are on the rise in all four sections of the country and were higher today than on any day since May 14.

There were 155,201 cases and 1,565 deaths reported Tuesday, according to the data. Roughly 77,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with the virus and 20 states are at their record hospitalization rate, according to The COVID Tracking project.

Nov 17, 2020, 6:45 PM EST

Chuck Grassley tests positive

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, announced Tuesday night he tested positive for the coronavirus. The 87-year-old said he went into isolation earlier in the day after he learning he was exposed to someone who had the virus.

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, walks to a Republican caucus luncheon in the Hart Senate Office Building on Oct. 23, 2020, in Washington, D.C.
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images, File

"While I still feel fine, the test came back positive for the coronavirus. I am continuing to follow my doctors' orders and CDC guidelines," Grassley said in a statement.

Grassley, the second-oldest senator, said he will work from home, but his offices in Iowa and Washington, D.C., will remain open for constituents.

Six U.S. senators have contracted COVID-19.

Nov 17, 2020, 3:35 PM EST

New York reaches highest hospitalization numbers since June

New York state has 2,124 COVID-19 patients in hospitals, the most since June 9, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office.

PHOTO: Patrick Foye, Chairman and CEO of the MTA, hands out face masks on a New York subway, Nov. 17, 2020.
Patrick Foye, Chairman and CEO of the MTA, hands out face masks on a New York subway, Nov. 17, 2020. He announced at a news conference a regional 'Mask Force' that encourages universal mask usage on public transit.
Mark Lennihan/AP

"Our micro-cluster strategy and testing capacity will help us through this new season, but ensuring we don't go back to where we were in the spring is going to depend on our behavior," Cuomo warned.

The state’s positivity rate stands at 3.18%, with 5,088 people testing positive for COVID-19 in the past 24 hours.

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