Wednesday was, by some distance, the worst day so far of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States. According to Johns Hopkins University, the nation recorded 247,357 new COVID-19 infections during the 24-hour period and an additional 3,656 new virus-related deaths. Worse still, the nation also recorded the highest number of hospitalizations seen across the country since the beginning of the pandemic, with 113,069 patients receiving care. In California alone, new cases numbers surged past 51,000—a new record. Advisers to the Food and Drug Administration will meet Thursday to discuss Moderna’s vaccine, with a speedy approval expected, but it’s likely to be months until the mass immunization effort makes a dent in the nation’s horrendous infection statistics.