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.
More articles on public health:
Cases fall 30% since January peak; most pregnant women shouldn’t get Moderna vaccine, WHO says — 8 COVID-19 updates
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