The overall community infection rate of the new coronavirus dropped by 58 percent after U.S. states implemented stay-at-home orders, a new analysis shows, according to an article from the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy in Minneapolis.
The analysis, published in the American Journal of Infection Control, included confirmed coronavirus cases tracked before and after stay-at-home orders were put in place in 42 states and the District of Columbia between March 19 and April 7.
Researchers gathered data from state government websites and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Baltimore. Using confirmed case counts, they calculated the community infection rate of the new virus for the 42 states and D.C. Read more about the analysis here.
Researchers found that the combined community infection rate across the states and D.C. dropped from a 12 percent increase in daily cases before the lockdowns to 5 percent increase in daily cases after the lockdowns.
According to the Minneapolis center, the 12 percent increase in daily cases indicates that cases were doubling every five or six days before the lockdowns. The 5 percent increase in daily cases indicates that cases were doubling every 14 days after the stay-at-home orders were implemented.