States in Central and Eastern America, as well as the Northwest, are among those with the highest prevalence of COVID-19 infections in the most recent week on record, according to maps produced through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Only two of the federal agency’s administrative regions—covering the Plains and the southwest, as well as Hawaii—had, on average, a prevalence of antigen tests returning positive results of less than 10 percent of those taken in the week ending January 20. However, New England saw the most-elevated proportion of positive tests, figures released on Friday show.
The recent uptick in positive cases and hospitalizations with COVID-19, which now appears to be waning, is something health officials have been expecting during the winter months. Colder weather tends to lead to an increased spread of viruses and other infections as immunity is lower.
The CDC reported that nationally, prevalence was about 10. 8 percent of tests performed, down from 1. 2 percent last week. The geographic location of positive cases shows that test positivity drops in many regions after the holiday period, when and social mixing tend to be a factor in the spread of the virus.
High respiratory infections, such as COVID-19 and the flu, have led some hospitals in densely populated states to introduce new mask mandates toward the end of 2023.
The CDC no longer provides test positivity percentages by state, but instead provides them as an average for its administrative regions. Region 2, which includes New York and New Jersey, had an overall prevalence of 14% of positive checks out of 4,369 performed in either. states, a marginal low of 0. 9% from last week.
Region 1, made up of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, had a 12% positivity rate out of 5,729 conducted, down 2. 1% from last week.
In contrast, Region Eight, which covers Colorado, the Dakotas, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, had a positive rate of 8. 5%, down one percentage point from last week; and Region Nine (California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico) had a rate of 7. 4 percent, down five percent.
All other jurisdictions had test positivity rates above 10%, but as high as regions one and two.
The CDC said the data comes with at-home testing and added that the effects may only be subject to updating due to delays in reporting from testing centers.
“Knowledge represents lab tests performed, not individual individuals,” the CDC added, as a user can go through the tests within a week. The firm said the percentage of positive tests “is one of the measures used to monitor COVID-19 transmission over time and across the area. “
Meanwhile, across the U.S., hospitalizations with COVID-19 continued a three-week decline from a seasonal peak between the weeks of December 30 and January 6. Alaska and New Mexico were the only two states to see moderate increases in hospital admissions, of more than 10 percent.
Aleks Phillips is an American journalist for Newsweek founded in London. It focuses on U. S. policy and the environment. U. S. He has extensively covered weather updates, as well as healthcare and crime. Aleks joined Newsweek in 2023 from the Daily Express and in the past worked for Chemist and Druggist and the Jewish Chronicle. He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge. Languages: English.
You can reach Aleks by emailing aleks. phillips@newsweek. com.