Several US states are still seeing troubling spikes in new COVID-19 cases as deaths appear to be declining across the country – but health experts warn the fatality rate often lags several weeks behind and could potentially shoot back up again.
Florida, Arizona, Texas and California are among the states that continue to have record spikes in daily coronavirus infections with the uptick in cases mostly occurring since mid-May as parts of the US pushed ahead with reopening.
The number of daily deaths, however, currently appear to be gradually declining in those states.
The most recent data shows that the number of new daily infections recorded across the US was just over 32,500. At the peak of the pandemic in mid-April, the US recorded 36,000 new infections on a single day.
Daily US deaths are now at 595, the latest data shows, which is down from the 2,500 recorded in mid-April.
More than 119,000 Americans have now died of COVID-19 and 2.2 million have been infected.
Daily US deaths are now at 595, the latest data shows, which is down from the 2,500 recorded in mid-April. More than 119,000 Americans have now died of COVID-19 and 2.2 million have been infected
The most recent data shows that the number of new daily infections recorded across the US was just over 32,500. At the peak of the pandemic in mid-April, the US recorded 36,000 new infections on a single day
While the number of daily deaths is currently declining in states like Florida, Arizona and Texas, experts warn it could spike again because the death rate often lags several weeks behind infections.
Experts say the fact that younger people – who are less likely to be hospitalized – are now accounting for a large number of the new cases could also have an impact in several weeks.
Young people could currently be infecting their elderly relatives and other at-risk people, which could drive up hospitalizations and deaths.
Florida, one of the last states to impose stay-at-home restrictions and one of the first to begin lifting them, reported 3,400 new cases, on Sunday – down from the record 4,000 cases on Saturday.
The state recorded 17 news deaths on Sunday compared to the record 84 in early May.
In Texas, more than 3,800 infections were recorded on Sunday – down from the record 4,400 on Saturday. Deaths were down to 17 on Sunday compared to the record 58 on May 15.
Hospitalizations are currently increasing in Texas with a record 3,400 patients admitted on Sunday.
Arizona saw 2,400 new infections on Sunday, which is down from a record 3,200 on Friday. The state recorded four new deaths on Sunday – compared to the record 67 deaths recorded on May 8.
Hospitalizations in Arizona appear to be declining but the intensive care bed usage in hospitals is increasing. Over the weekend, 85 percent of ICU beds were in use across the state.
TEXAS DEATHS: In Texas, deaths were down to 17 on Sunday compared to the record 58 on May 15
TEXAS: CASES: In Texas, more than 3,800 infections were recorded on Sunday – down from the record 4,400 on Saturday
TEXAS HOSPITALIZATIONS: Hospitalizations – a metric not linked to increased testing – are currently increasing in Texas with a record 3,400 patients admitted on Sunday
FLORIDA DEATHS: The state recorded 17 news deaths on Sunday compared to the record 84 in early May
FLORIDA CASES: Florida, one of the last states to impose stay-at-home restrictions and one of the first to begin lifting them, reported 3,400 new cases, on Sunday – down from the record 4,000 cases on Saturday
California recorded a daily high of COVID-19 cases on Saturday with just over 4,500 infections. The number of people hospitalized in California reached record highs on Saturday with 3,500 people admitted with coronavirus.
Deaths on that day were at 71, according to the state’s health department. The number of people dying from COVID-19 in California has spiked throughout the pandemic.
The highest number of deaths was on April 22 when 115 died. The death toll was at 105 on June 10.
Meanwhile experts say that expanded diagnostic testing accounts for some, but not all, of the troubling spikes in coronavirus cases in some states.
President Donald Trump said over the weekend that it may only look like the US has substantially more coronavirus cases than other countries because there is more testing.
His administration has said Trump was only joking when he suggested during a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday that the US should slow down testing because it only results in a high case count.
Trump doubled down in a late night tweet, saying: ‘Our Coronavirus testing is so much greater (25 million tests) and so much more advanced, that it makes us look like we have more cases, especially proportionally, than other countries.
‘My message on that is very clear!’
ARIZONA DEATHS: The state recorded four new deaths on Sunday – compared to the record 67 deaths recorded on May 8
ARIZONA CASES: Arizona saw 2,400 new infections on Sunday, which is down from a record 3,200 on Friday
ARIZONA HOSPITALIZATIONS: Hospitalizations in Arizona appear to be declining but the intensive care bed usage in hospitals is increasing. Over the weekend, 85 percent of ICU beds (above) were in use across the state
CALIFORNIA: California recorded a daily high of COVID-19 cases on Saturday with just over 4,500 infections. Deaths on that day were at 71, according to the state’s health department. The number of people dying from COVID-19 in California has spiked throughout the pandemic. The highest number of deaths was on April 22 when 115 died. The death toll was at 105 on June 10
CALIFORNIA HOSPITALIZATIONS: The number of people hospitalized in California reached record highs on Saturday with 3,500 people admitted with coronavirus
Health officials say the upward trends in testing positivity rates that several states are reporting is particularly alarming.
The World Health Organization considers positivity rates above 5% to be especially concerning.
Data from Johns Hopkins University shows the average rates over the past week are exceeding that 5% level and are climbing in multiple states.
Florida, Texas, Arizona and South Carolina all have positive rates above 10 percent.
Officials say that if a positivity rate is too high it could indicate that the state is only testing the sickest patients and not casting a wide enough net to see how much the virus is spreading within communities.
A low rate of positivity in testing data could be a sign that a state has sufficient testing capacity for the size of their outbreak and testing enough of its population, according to John Hopkins researchers.
They say the positivity rate is key to making informed decisions about moving ahead with reopenings.
‘The situation in Florida and Arizona is really concerning,’ said William Hanage, an epidemiology professor at Harvard University.
He said the spike in cases in those states was not just due to more testing but indicative of an ‘underlying outbreak of unknown size’.
Health officials say the spikes in new cases is due, in part, to coronavirus now infecting more young people in their 20s and 30s in some states.
Even if the growth in confirmed cases partly reflects transmission among younger people less likely to be hospitalized, those people could infect the elderly and other vulnerable individuals with underlying health conditions.
‘The more community transmission there is, the larger the risk that it infects somebody who is vulnerable. There are quite a lot of old people in Florida and in Arizona,’ Hanage said.