COVID-19 continues to plague the United States, specifically in the Midwest and Great Plains states, despite a recent decline in cases.
Maps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing COVID-19 cases across the country reveal that, during the week ending Oct. 28, the U. S. The U. S. had a test positivity rate of 9%. In the week ended Oct. 21, that figures 8. 7 percent.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has been evolving since the start of the pandemic in 2019, with small genetic mutations generating new genetic variants of the pathogen.
“[The Arcturus variant (XBB. 1. 16)] is no longer the primary variant in the United States. The highest prevalence is EG. 5,” Prakash Nagarkatti, a professor of immunology at the University of South Carolina, told Newsweek. . 5 and HV. 1 account for roughly part of the existing COVID-19 cases in the country, and HV. 1 has increased in recent weeks to catch up with EG. 5 in numbers.
CDC data also shows that Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming all have case rates, averaging 12. 6% in the week leading up to Oct. 28. Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska had case positivity rates of 11. 3%. while Arizona, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin had case rates of 11 percent.
The states with the lowest positive case rates are Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia at 5. 6 percent; and Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, at 6. 9 percent.
There were 15,745 COVID-related hospitalizations in the U. S. The U. S. population was in the week leading up to Oct. 28, up from 16,186 the week before. This equates to about 4. 74 compared to another 100,000 people nationwide. The worst-hit countries were New York with 1,254 new hospitalizations, California with 1,551 and Texas with 1,209.
However, deaths from COVID-19 declined, with 2. 5 percent of deaths due to the virus, up from 2. 7 percent last week. Kentucky, one of the hardest-hit states, accounts for 4. 8 percent of COVID-19 deaths. 23. 1% more than last week.
It’s possible that infections will rise again as winter approaches, as other viruses and diseases can weaken the immune formula and make it less difficult for COVID-19 to infect the public. A new batch of coronavirus vaccines manufactured to be available to the population just a few months ago. However, only 7% of adults and 2% of young people have won the new boosters.
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Jess Thomson is a science journalist for Newsweek based in London, United Kingdom. She focuses on reporting on science, technology and fitness care. She has extensively covered animal behavior, area news, and the effects of climate change. Jess joined Newsweek in May 2022 and in the past she worked at Springer Nature. She graduated from Oxford University. English language.
You can contact Jess by emailing j. thomson@newsweek. com.