COVID-19 cases remained relatively steady week-over-week in late August, though data from states showed “very high” viral activity at the end of the month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Some regions of the United States are experiencing higher rates of positive COVID-19 tests than others, though reporting has slowed down enough nationwide that the CDC has begun allowing more time to pass between certain types of updates, such as those on variant prevalence.
However, amid the confusion of new strains, changing vaccine guidelines and cuts to vaccine development funding, the CDC continues to track cases, hospitalizations and deaths on a weekly basis.
Here’s what to know about this week’s data.
How many COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide?
Through the week ending Aug. 30, 10.8% Americans tested were positive for COVID-19, according to the CDC’s latest data. This was a decrease from the prior week (11.6%).
During the same period, 0.6% of cases resulted in death, up from 0.5% the week before, and 1.6% resulted in an emergency room visit, up from 1.5% in the previous week.
Map of COVID-19 test positivity by region
According to the most recent CDC wastewater data for the week ending Aug. 30, Western and Southern states, including Alabama, Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oregon, Virginia, Washington and Wyoming, plus Washington D.C., had “very high” or “high” levels of COVID-19 viral activity.
What is the most common COVID-19 variant?
The CDC has transitioned to using longer timeframes to release model-based projections about COVID-19 variants because of low reporting from states. According to the latest data projection for the four weeks ending Aug. 30, variant XFG was the most common, accounting for 78% of cases, followed by NB.1.8.1 at 14% of cases and LP.8.1 at 3%.
XFG, a recombination of variants LF.7 and LP.8.1.2, experienced a meteoric rise to become the predominant strain, having been responsible for 0% of U.S. cases through March, 14% by late June, 42% by early July and 60% by early August.
What are COVID-19 vaccine guidelines?
A battle around COVID-19 vaccines is ongoing between regulators, health officials and experts.
On Aug. 27, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that emergency-use authorizations for COVID-19 vaccines had been terminated and that the Moderna, Pfizer and Novavax immunizations had been approved only for “those at high risk” and people over 65. This could make it harder for others who want the COVID-19 vaccine to get it, experts warned.
Kennedy had previously stated on May 27 that the COVID-19 vaccine would no longer be included in the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule for healthy children and pregnant women, a move that broke previous expert guidance and bypassed the normal scientific review process.
State health departments and national professional organizations, including the American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), have broken from Kennedy and HHS on these guidelines, suggesting the vaccine for pregnant women and children.
The AAP released its own vaccine recommendations on Aug. 19 in a break from federal guidance shaped by Kennedy.
The AAP schedule recommends that all children ages six months to 23 months receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine to reduce the chance of serious illness. Children and adolescents aged 2 to 18, without other high-risk factors like immunosuppression, can receive and should be offered the vaccine if they were not previously immunized, according to the guidance.
Updated CDC guidelines refrain from making recommendations and instead suggest parents consult with their child’s pediatrician on a case-by-case basis.
COVD-19 cases have remained realtivly steady week-over-week, according to CDC data.
What are the symptoms of current COVID-19 strains?
While some people report symptoms like hoarseness or “razor blade throat” as being more common with certain variants, health agencies, including the CDC and the World Health Organization, note that there is no evidence of specific symptoms being unique to different strains.
The CDC outlines these common COVID-19 symptoms:
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
Congestion or a runny nose
New loss of taste or smell
The CDC advises seeking medical care if you experience any of the following symptoms:
Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
Inability to wake or stay awake
Depending on skin tone, lips, nail beds and skin may appear pale, gray or blue
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What to know about COVID cases this week: Variants, testing, vaccines
