The United States has suffered its worst day ever with coronavirus, with one American now catching COVID-19 every second.
And the battle for the White House has produced an astonishing new claim about the pandemic from Donald Trump - he says doctors are overcounting deaths to make money.
There's a field of broken American dreams in Washington DC with a white flag for every life surrendered to COVID-19. It's a striking symbol of death and devastation created by artist Suzanne Firstenberg.
Asked what she thinks when she looks at flags, Firstenberg says: "When I look at just one flag, I imagine that it's a person."
Flags, everywhere, people everywhere.
"I think about all the grief contained in one flag and then I lift my gaze. I just think how could this happen, how could this happen in America," says Firstenberg.
It "happened" to Larry and Vicki Crowder.
Larry was there to remember his father, writing his name on a flag.
"That felt real good, just to know that he is recognised," he says.
Ulus Crowder was a war hero, he survived both Korea and Vietnam and spent the last 18 years in care with dementia.
His nursing home was locked down. He died after three months with no family visits.
"It was really hard on our family. We didn't have a chance to see him, to touch him or be there to support him. It was really hard for us," says Larry.
Donald Trump "diminishes" and "denies" the virus to the "delight" of his supporters.
There have been 9 million cases in the US, with 98,523 in the last 24-hour period - the worst day on record - and over 1000 new deaths. There's 229,000 flags and counting.
"You know our doctors get more money if somebody dies from COVID. It's true, it's like $2,000 more, so you get more money," Trump says.
Devjeet Sarkar is an emergency doctor placing flags for patients he could not save.
"I’m just trying to remember all their faces," he says.
It is relentless.
"I’m going to shift in an hour and I’m expecting to see a lot of sick patients."
One small patch of white flags represents New Zealand’s deaths
Nina Benton placed our flag beside them.
"That’s New Zealand versus the United States."
It is stark.
"These were all people who didn’t need to die. It’s very upsetting."
Firstenberg says she is trying to put it into context.
She says another smaller patch shows what the US death count could have been if it handled the virus-like New Zealand.
This is what COVID-19 has done to the United States. Every one of these flags - a life lost.
The pain, the suffering, and the waste. It is an American tragedy.
