The US is averaging more than 45,000 new Covid-19 positive tests a day, more than double what it saw in June. It’s an ominous increase that’s stoking even more concern for a potentially devastating winter. The CDC predicts deaths in the US could reach 233,000 by the end of this month, and projections from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation show more than 2,900 Americans could die daily by January. Vaccine efforts are revving up around the world to prevent such tragic outcomes. China just joined the World Health Organization’s COVAX initiative, which aims to provide global access to effective Covid-19 vaccines. More than 75 high-income countries have committed money to the project. The US, which severed its ties to WHO, and Russia are not among them.