COVID-19 test positivity fell in every U.S. region in the week ending Jan. 16, and nine U.S. regions saw two consecutive weeks of decrease, according to the CDC's latest COVIDView report published Jan. 22.
As holiday-related reporting delays may skew COVID-19 data, the CDC recommends interpreting the below data with caution.
Four updates:
1. Surveillance: The national percentage of positive COVID-19 specimens was 11.9 percent in the week ending Jan. 16, down from 14.7 percent a week prior. Test positivity decreased in every HHS surveillance region and among all age groups.
2. Outpatient activity: The overall percentage of outpatient or emergency department visits for flu- and COVID-19-like symptoms decreased in the week ending Jan. 16. Regionally, these indicators fell in nine regions and remained stable in the New Jersey/New York/Puerto Rico region.
3. Hospitalizations: The cumulative hospitalization rate for all age groups was 380.3 per 100,000 population in the week ending Jan. 16.
4. Mortality: About 14.7 percent of deaths nationwide were attributed to flu, pneumonia or COVID-19 in the week ending Jan. 16. This figure sits above the epidemic threshold of 7 percent.
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