TAMPA, Fla. — Health officials say the state of Florida has surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tallied 50,811 deaths after adding more than 1,500 COVID-19 deaths provided by state authorities on Thursday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis said the latest wave was “really rough,” striking younger and healthier people, including numerous police officers and firefighters.
More than one-fourth of the total COVID-19 deaths in the state occurred this summer as the state battled a fierce surge in infections fueled by the delta variant.
Overall, about one in every 400 Florida residents who were alive in March 2020 has since died of COVID-19.
Only cancer and heart disease have killed more Floridians during that period, the AP reports, citing state health department statistics. Each has killed about 70,000 Floridians.
Florida has the 11th worst per-capita death rate among the 50 states, the CDC says. New Jersey, Mississippi and New York have had the worst, but Florida has risen from the 17th spot in the past two weeks, according to the AP.
The Sunshine State has seen a decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
"The models are saying that we're past the peak. So that is good, but of course, the elephant in the room is this. This is all predicated by the fact that immunity may be long lasting," Dr. Edwin Michael with USF Public Health said.
The mathematical modeler says the cases have been declining for over a month now.
"The reason that the cases are dropping, is because we have reached very high levels of immunity in the population. If you look at Florida, we are saying, we are almost at 80 percent of people are immune because of vaccines, but more because of naturally acquired immunity from infection," Michael said.
While doctors say immunity from the virus has helped lower COVID numbers, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis credits monoclonal antibody treatments.
"It's going down significantly and we think having the availability of the treatment has made a big difference," DeSantis said on Thursday at a press conference in Fort Lauderdale.
The treatment is effective, preventing at least 70 percent of hospitalizations in those who test positive, but it isn't the sole reason for the decline.
"To Gov. DeSantis' point, of course, monoclonal antibodies helped, but that's only one tool," Dr. Kami Kim with USF Health said.