COVID-19 test positivity dipped slightly in mid-November, while hospitalizations hit a new high, according to the CDC's latest COVIDView report published Nov. 30.
Four updates:
1. Surveillance: The national percentage of positive COVID-19 specimens was 10.6 percent in the week ending Nov. 21, down from 12 percent a week prior. Test positivity decreased among all age groups and in eight of 10 HHS surveillance regions. This figure increased in the Pacific Northwest and Southwest/West Coast regions.
2. Hospitalizations: The cumulative hospitalization rate for all age groups increased to 243.8 per 100,000 population in the week ending Nov. 21. The overall weekly hospitalization rate was at its highest point of the pandemic and is expected to rise in upcoming COVIDView reports as more data are collected, the CDC said.
3. Mortality: About 11.3 percent of deaths nationwide were attributed to flu, pneumonia or COVID-19 in the week ending Nov. 21. This figure marks a decline from the week prior but is still above the epidemic threshold, which is 6.3 percent.
4. Outpatient activity: Eight regions reported an increase in the percentage of outpatient visits for COVID-19-like symptoms in the week ending Nov. 21. Three regions — New Jersey/New York/Puerto Rico, Southeast and Southwest/West Coast — also saw a jump in visits for flu-like illness.
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