COVID-19 cases have plateaued in the United States for the first time in months, following the rapid spread of new FLiRT variants this summer. However, this trend is not uniform across the country, with many states continuing to see rising infections.
New data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the highest infection rates are in five states in the South/Southwest; nearly one in four COVID tests came back positive in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Meanwhile, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia saw the largest increases in test positivity for the week ending August 17.
Since early April, a group of highly infectious Omicron virus subvariants have gained prominence around the world. Dubbed the “FLiRT” subvariants because of the position of specific mutations in their spike proteins, this new class of viruses now accounts for more than 75% of infections in the United States, according to the CDC. One variant in particular, called KP.3.1.1, is now responsible for more than one in three cases.
More information on Newsweek Vault: What is a health savings account?
For the week ending August 17, the CDC reported that nearly one in five (18.1%) COVID tests taken in the United States — excluding results from at-home tests — came back positive. However, these positive results were not evenly distributed across the country.
The map below illustrates the distribution of positive tests across the United States, divided into 10 Health and Human Services regions.
CDC
Region 6, which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, leads the way with the highest percentage of positive tests. However, while 22.3% of tests came back positive in this region, this is a slight decrease from the previous week.
More information on Newsweek Vault: Compare the best health savings account (HSA) providers
Region Seven, which includes Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, reported the second-highest percentage of positive tests at 19.5%, followed closely by Region Four, which covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North and South Carolina and Tennessee, at 18.6%.
The lowest infection rates for the week ending August 17 were seen in Region Nine, covering Arizona, California, Hawaii and Nevada, with 12.6% of tests coming back positive.
More information on Newsweek Vault: Learn more about the different types of savings accounts
Although the CDC has reported a steady increase in infections in the United States in recent weeks, hospitalizations remain relatively low. Based on what has been observed so far, the new FLiRT variants, while more contagious, do not generally cause severe symptoms. However, it is important to isolate yourself from others if you begin to develop symptoms.
Got a health issue that worries you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can get expert advice and your story could be featured on News week.
