COVID-19 test positivity fell in every U.S. region in the week ending Jan. 23, representing the second consecutive week of decline, according to the CDC's latest COVIDView report published Jan. 29.
As holiday-related reporting delays may skew COVID-19 data, the CDC recommends interpreting the data below with caution.
Four updates:
1. Surveillance: The national percentage of positive COVID-19 specimens was 11 percent in the week ending Jan. 23, down from 12 percent a week prior. Test positivity decreased in every HHS surveillance region and among all age groups for the second consecutive week.
2. Outpatient activity: The overall percentage of outpatient or emergency department visits decreased for COVID-19-like symptoms in the week ending Jan. 23 and remained stable for flu-like symptoms. Regionally, all 10 regions reported a decline in COVID-19-related visits, and eight regions reported a stable or decreasing level of visits for flu symptoms.
3. Hospitalizations: The cumulative hospitalization rate for all age groups was 403 per 100,000 population in the week ending Jan. 23.
4. Mortality: About 14.8 percent of deaths nationwide were attributed to flu, pneumonia or COVID-19 in the week ending Jan. 23. This figure sits above the epidemic threshold of 7.1 percent.
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