IHME: Tennessee may have seen peak COVID-19 deaths per day

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) – Is Tennessee seeing the coronavirus surge? Did we just pass the top of the curve?

Possibly!

New estimates from the closely watched Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show a leveling of hospital resource utilization.

RELATED: 35 active cases coronavirus in Knox County, 170 total

Its projections also show deaths from COVID-19 in Tennessee may have peaked Monday.

The health research institute also predicts COVID-19 deaths in Tennessee will total 481 by Aug. 4. In late March, it had estimated deaths in Tennessee by August at 1,551 and the forecasts have been trending downward since the state stay-at-home order.

One note of caution, however. The IHME projections assume full social distancing will continue through May while pressure is mounting to “get back to work” early in the month.

Both Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and President Donald Trump are talking about how to relax health restrictions so businesses can begin resuming in some fashion in early May.

Both said Monday they will study recommendations on opening for business. In East Tennessee, some political leaders have been urging Lee to get the economy rolling again, notably Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs.

Both state and federal health political and health leaders have pointed to the IHME estimates as mong the forecasts being used to predict the impact of coronavirus.