Virus Outbreak-Milestones, ADVISORY

Two big milestones in the coronavirus pandemic are fast approaching — 200,000 confirmed deaths in the U.S. and at least a million worldwide. The true number of deaths is hard to know, and could be much higher. But crossing these thresholds serves as a grim reminder of the incredible toll of COVID-19.

To mark these sobering milestones, which likely will occur before the end of September, AP journalists will reexamine the virus through many lenses — the deaths, the pandemic's global impact, the intersection of science and politics and what we’ve learned about treatment so far.

The AP plans the following all-formats coverage. Timing of some items might continue to be adjusted depending on when the milestones occur. The AP is relying on Johns Hopkins University's coronavirus data, which counted 199,352 U.S. deaths as of early Sunday afternoon.

For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org

SUNDAY, SEPT. 20

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-POLITICS-ANALYSIS: In a deeply divided America, even death is a political litmus test. To Joe Biden and Democrats, crossing 200,000 U.S. coronavirus deaths is a reminder of the Trump administration’s inaction and indifference to the pandemic. To President Donald Trump and his supporters, it’s a reminder that the toll could have been much worse. By AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

MONDAY, SEPT. 21

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-FAMILIES: In a year full of sorrowful statistics, the U.S. records one more: 200,000 dead of the coronavirus. They were loyal partners, illuminating scholars, crowd-pleasing chefs, pillars of business. And many were something more: parents. For the children left behind, life is forever changed. And for grandparents, surviving parents and others now stepping in, it is a balancing act of new responsibility while mourning the dead. By Matt Sedensky. UPCOMING: Text, photos, video.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-200,000 DEAD: Seven months after the first COVID-19 fatality was recorded in the U.S., the nation is passing the milestone of 200,000 confirmed deaths — a staggering total that seemed impossible earlier in the year. By Carla K. Johnson. UPCOMING: Text, photos.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 22

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-POLITICS: As America’s public health community battles a virulent pandemic, they’ve also had to reckon with something that has traditionally been well outside their realm: politics. The Trump administration has mixed public health in with politics over the past six months in ways that critics fear could undermine the credibility of any treatment or vaccine. By Jason Dearen. UPCOMING: Text, photos.

THURSDAY, SEPT 24

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-PHOTO GALLERY: A global look at the impact from 1 million COVID deaths in photos spanning the past 6 months, including fresh images captured as the milestone approached. UPCOMING: Photo gallery with accompanying text introduction.

SUNDAY, SEPT. 27

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-THE SPREAD: Like so many things in the world, it started small. It began to move around, and the map evolved. Month by month, week by week, sometimes day by day, the coronavirus spread and the world changed with it. How did something so contained upend the routines and activities of huge swaths of human civilization? By National Writer Ted Anthony. UPCOMING: Text, photos and an interactive presentation showing the spread of infections around the globe.

MONDAY, SEPT. 28

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-ONE MILLION DEATHS: Nine months after the coronavirus first surfaced in China, the pandemic is surpassing a woeful milestone, claiming its 1 millionth life. Experts say the fast-rising tally of reported deaths is almost certainly a significant undercount. But the figure is staggering nonetheless, for families and communities in mourning and for the world beyond, struggling to deal with the fearsome but invisible threat. Grappling with the full significance of the 1 million lost requires acknowledging the individual lives that underlie the number, as well as the upheaval it has wreaked on citizens around the globe. By Adam Geller. Text, photos, video.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-SURVIVING COVID: The million people who have lost their lives to COVID-19 also have given the world some gifts: a better understanding of how to treat the disease, and ways to prevent it that could help keep millions more from dying in the future. By Marilynn Marchione. UPCOMING: Text, photos and video.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 29

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILESTONES-CUBAN DOCTORS’ DEATH: Almost 55 years ago, Dr. Jorge Vallejo told his colleagues at a Havana hospital that he needed to rush home to see one of his toddler sons who had a fever. He lied. In reality, he went home that night to pack some clothes, get his wife and two boys and board a torpedo boat named “La Gaviota.” Before the sun rose the next day, the Vallejos and other Cuban refugees had sailed across the Florida Straits and braved a storm that left them stranded at sea. Vallejo and one of his sons, also a doctor, have died from the coronavirus. By Adriana Gomez. UPCOMING: Text, photos.

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AP plans continuing spot coverage of the pandemic as these milestones pass. Please monitor Coverage Plan for updates.