Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 activity continued to increase nationwide in the week ending April 11, according to the CDC's weekly COVIDView report.
Four things to know:
1. The national percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 increased in clinical, commercial and public health laboratories. Labs have confirmed 426,459 positive specimens as of March 1.
2. The percentage of deaths attributed to flu, pneumonia or COVID-19 was 18.8 percent, up from 17.8 percent a week prior.
3. The cumulative hospitalization rate for all age groups was 20 hospitalizations per 100,000 population. Patients ages 65 and older had the highest hospitalization rate at 63.8 per 100,000.
4. The amount of outpatient and emergency department visits for COVID-19 symptoms decreased slightly from a week prior, but remain elevated for this time of the year.
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