The percentage of specimens testing positive for COVID-19 and the percentage of visits for flu- or COVID-19 symptoms have increased in recent weeks, according to the CDC's latest COVIDView report.
Four updates:
1. Surveillance: The national percentage of positive COVID-19 specimens increased slightly in the week ending Oct. 10. Test positivity remained stable or fell in all other age groups. Regionally, the percentage of positive test specimens increased in the Midwest, Pacific Northwest, South Central and Central regions and decreased in the six remaining HHS surveillance regions.
2. Outpatient activity: The national percentage of emergency room or outpatient visits for flu- or COVID-19-like symptoms has increased slowly since mid-September. The percentage of ER visits for these symptoms has increased in all 10 regions in recent weeks, with the Midwest and Mountain areas seeing the largest jumps.
3. Mortality: About 7.2 percent of deaths nationwide were attributed to flu, pneumonia or COVID-19 in the week ending Oct. 10. This figure is declining but still above the epidemic threshold, which hovers around 6 percent.
4. Hospitalizations: The cumulative hospitalization rate for all age groups increased to 188.2 per 100,000 population in the week ending Oct. 10.
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