The number of new coronavirus cases in the United States is rising once again as growth slows in late summer. While epidemiological geography is now migrating to the Midwest and more rural areas, most states have an upward trend of cases, many of which are setting weekly records for new cases.
The charts and maps below provide snapshots of the previous two peaks of the epidemic, as well as case counts today. The case turn shows the number of new cases reported each day across the country, and the map shows the number of new cases reported in each county in the previous two weeks.
Note: The cases shown on the map for a given date are those that have been reported in the previous two weeks.
Taken alone, case counts are an incomplete measure of the severity of the epidemic, and U.S. trials were less extensive when the tests were performed. But other decisive steps, too, have shown resurrection. And the continued spread of the case to new areas of the country suggests that an outbreak has not occurred.
“We are headed in the wrong direction, and that is reflected not only in the number of new cases but also in the positivity of the test and the number of hospitalizations,” said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University. “Together, I think these three indicators paint a clear picture that we are seeing increased transmission across communities across the country.”
The rise since mid-September has been particularly profound in the Midwest and Mountain West, where hospitals are overflowing and rural areas are seeing surprising outbreaks. These areas currently have almost all the metro areas with the worst outbreaks in the country.
“We’re starting with a much higher plateau than we were before the summer wave,” Dr Rivers said. “It worries me that we’ll see more peaks during the next peak than during the summer.”
Northeast
New cases every day
(7-day average)
South
West
Midwest
New coronavirus cases come first every day on the first day in mid-April when New York City and surrounding areas have been hit hard. The worst outbreaks of spring were also seen in New Orleans, southwestern Georgia and some resort towns in the west.
During the summer, the number of new cases every day is much higher than the peak of April. The south and west were particularly affected.
Cases remained high even after the July increase and are steadily rising in southern parts, including Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. In the Northeast, the number of new cases remained significantly flat during the summer. But the numbers are still low in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts, rising over the past few weeks.
Note: The cases shown for the given date are registered in the previous two weeks.
The current resurgence is also particularly rural compared to the earlier phases of the eruption, which hit cities in the Northeast and then the Sun Belt.
Of the 100 counties with the worst outbreaks per capita in the last seven days, more than half are home to less than 10,000 people. Almost all have a population of less than 50,000.
Dr .. Rivers said there are reasons for optimism, such as increased testing capacity and better knowledge of effective treatment and control measures. But, he said, many factors keep him concerned about the current surge. Dr. Rivers continued to politicize control measures such as the start of the flu season, mask mandates and cold temperatures that push people indoors, where the virus grows.
“I think we’re in a dangerous place,” said Dr. Said the rivers.
Tracking of coronavirus
