U.S. researchers have projected that nearly 300,000 people in the country could die of COVID-19 by December, with the number to exceed 180,000 by the end of this month.

Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington predict 295,011 deaths as of December 1, based on their model projecting the pandemic, the institute said on Thursday.

But consistently wearing masks can help relieve the situation, reminded the IHME.

"Starting today, if 95 percent of the people in the U.S. were to wear masks when leaving their homes, that total number would decrease to 228,271 deaths, a drop of 49 percent," the IHME said on its website. "And more than 66,000 lives would be saved."

Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the IHME, warned that inconsistent practice of protective measures is "a serious problem."

Murray said that people in the U.S. practice such measures like wearing masks and social distancing more frequently as infections increase, but let their guard down and stop taking these measures as infections drop, which leads to more infections. "And the potentially deadly cycle starts over again."

Meanwhile, the number of the tests for COVID-19 has declined in 29 states, including the worst-hit Florida and Texas.

Clusters of infections are also taking place in the country. About 80 percent of Texas's more than 1,200 nursing homes have reported cases, reported local media outlet Spectrum News on Tuesday, adding that July "saw an explosion of cases" compared to June.

The U.S. now has over 4.8 million infections and its death toll has exceeded 160,000, according to the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University.