List of US states with very high COVID rates
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KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The CDC classified COVID-19 as an endemic disease and identified 27 states with “very high” virus activity.
- The KP.3.1.1 variant was found in 27.8% of positive COVID-19 cases by early August 2024.
- Significant regional differences in positive test rates were observed, with Region 9 experiencing the highest increase at 3.1%.
Current data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that over half of the United States had “very high” levels of COVID-19 Active as of August 9, 2024. The CDC used wastewater analysis to monitor the presence of the virus in communities.
The latest figures showed that 27 states had “very high” levels of virus activity in wastewater. CDC monitoring found that these states had the highest levels of COVID-19 activity. In addition, CDC officials said in an interview with NPR that COVID-19 had been classified as an endemic disease.
Aron Hall, deputy director for science in the CDC’s Division of Coronaviruses and Other Respiratory Viruses, said COVID-19 can now be called endemic worldwide. An endemic disease is one that consistently circulates at expected levels within a community, despite occasional outbreaks, according to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
According to the CDC’s Nowcast data tracker, as of August 9, 2024, 27.8% of positive COVID-19 cases were linked to the KP.3.1.1 strain. Next was the KP.3 variant, which accounted for 20.1% of cases between July 21 and August 3, 2024. A descendant of the JN.1 lineage, the KP.3.1.1 variant first emerged in late 2023 and was comparable to other variants circulating in the United States.
States that “very high” listAs of August 9, include:
- California,
- Oregon,
- Washington,
- Utah,
- Washington,
- Alaska,
- Texas,
- Oklahoma,
- Tennessee,
- New Hampshire,
- Alabama,
- Mississippi,
- Kansas,
- Missouri,
- Idaho,
- Minnesota,
- Arkansas,
- Louisiana,
- Florida,
- South Carolina,
- North Carolina,
- Minnesota,
- Maryland,
- New Mexico,
- Colorado,
- Massachusetts and
- Virginia.
The states with the lowest detected level (moderate) of SARS-CoV-2 were Arizona, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia and Connecticut. North Dakota did not have enough data for the study.
Between July 28 and August 3, 2024, the CDC found significant fluctuations in positive COVID-19 test numbers in different parts of the country. With a 2.1% increase, Region 5, which includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin, saw the largest increase in positive cases. Various adjustments were observed in other regions:
- Region 1 (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont): +1.4%
- Region 2 (New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands): -1.3%
- Region 3 (Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia): +1.3%
- Region 4 (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee): +1.4%
- Region 6 (Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas): +1.5%
- Region 7 (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska): +0.9%
- Region 8 (Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming): -1.2%
- Region 9 (Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Marshall Islands, Republic of Palau): 3.1%
- Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington): +1.2%
The CDC has not identified any clear symptoms for the KP.3 or KP.3.1.1 variants. However, Rosa Norman, a spokesperson for the CDC, noted that symptoms for KP.3 were similar to those of the JN.1 variant. The CDC outlined general COVID-19 symptoms that can appear between two and 14 days after exposure. These symptoms include:
– Fever or chills
– Cough
– Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
– Fatigue
– Muscle or limb pain
– Headache
– Loss of taste or smell
– Sore throat
– Stuffy or runny nose
– Nausea or vomiting
– Diarrhea
The CDC recommends seeking medical attention if any of the following severe symptoms occur:
– Breathing difficulties
– Persistent chest pain or pressure
– New confusion
– Inability to wake up or stay awake
– Pale, grey or bluish skin, lips or nail beds
