As American deaths caused by coronavirus pass 217,000 and cases near 8 million, talk of how to manage the virus—fundamental precautions vs. lockdowns vs. herd immunity—rages on. One thing everyone can see, however, if looking at the same data: Cases are rising, and so are hospitalizations. By many accounts, we are entering a third peak, after surges in the spring and summer. Read on to discover which states are most affected, and to ensure your health and the health of others, don't miss these Sure Signs You've Already Had Coronavirus.
Are We Headed Toward a Third Peak of Coronavirus?
An analysis of all the major news networks—red and blue—found examples of each describing rising cases across the country. A sampling from today:
"Daily new U.S. cases of the coronavirus, as a seven-day average, topped 50,000 for the first time in nearly two months on Tuesday, according to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins data," reports CNBC. "Average daily new infections are 16% higher than a week ago, and have been growing for the last nine days, CNBC's analysis shows. The nation's top health experts have repeatedly warned that new case tallies are too high heading into the colder months."
"We are headed in the wrong direction, and that's reflected not only in the number of new cases but also in test positivity and the number of hospitalizations," said Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, told the New York Times. "Together, I think these three indicators give a very clear picture that we are seeing increased transmission in communities across the country."
"Colorado Secretary of State's office has prepared for the Nov. 3 General Election by pairing up with the Office of Emergency Management and distributing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to all county clerks, as the state sees a spike in coronavirus cases," reports Fox News. "Colorado saw a record rise in the number of daily cases reported Tuesday, with just over 1,000 new cases of coronavirus." "The safety of voters and elections personnel is a paramount concern for all of us at the Secretary of State's Office," Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement Tuesday. "I'm glad that our office is able to help provide counties with this essential equipment to ensure the General Election is conducted as safely as possible."
"More than half of states are in the 'red zone' for new COVID-19 cases, meaning they had more than 100 new cases for every 100,000 residents, the White House Coronavirus Task Force said this week in its latest report to governors," reports the Center for Public Integrity. "The reports, which are not published by the White House, also said that not a single state remains in the green zone for coronavirus cases. Last week Vermont was the only state in that zone. The states in the red zone for cases in this week's report (meaning they had more than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents in the week prior):
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- Wisconsin
- Utah
- Idaho
- Iowa
- Wyoming
- Oklahoma
- Tennessee
- Arkansas
- Kentucky
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- Missouri
- Alaska
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Alabama
- Indiana
- South Carolina
- Illinois
- North Carolina
- Rhode Island
- Nevada
- New Mexico
The states in the red zone for test positivity in this week's report (meaning more than 10 percent of tests in the state were positive in the week prior):
- Nebraska
- Montana
- Idaho
- Utah
- California
- South Dakota
- Wisconsin
The states in the red zone for deaths (meaning they had more than more than two new deaths per 100,000 residents in the week prior):
- North Dakota
- Arkansas
- South Dakota
- Missouri
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Mississippi
- South Carolina
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Alabama
- Iowa"
The Rise Has Been "Profound"
"The rise since mid-September has been especially profound in the Midwest and Mountain West, where hospitals are filling up and rural areas are seeing staggering outbreaks. The regions are home to almost all of the metro areas with the country's worst outbreaks right now," reports the Times. "We are starting from a much higher plateau than we were before the summer wave," Dr. Rivers told the paper. "It concerns me that we might see even more cases during the next peak than we did during the summer."
As for yourself, wear your face mask, avoid crowds, stay outdoors when possible, and to get through this pandemic at your healthiest, don't miss these 35 Places You're Most Likely to Catch COVID.
