COVID-19 viral activity was high in the United States during the first week of September, according to fresh data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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 the latest data.
How many COVID-19 cases were reported nationwide?
Through the week ending Sept. 6, 10.8% Americans tested were positive for COVID-19, according to the CDC’s latest data. This was a decrease from the prior week (11.2%).
During the same period, 0.8% of all deaths in the United States were attributed to COVID-19, up from 0.6% the week before, and 1.5% cases resulted in an emergency room visit, down from 1.7% in the previous week.
Map of COVID-19 test positivity by region
According to the most recent CDC wastewater data for the week ending Sept. 6, many Western and Southern states had “very high” levels of COVID-19 viral activity. Those states were Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah, plus Washington, DC.
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, also known as “Stratus,” 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 among 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, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, – have broken from Kennedy and HHS on these guidelines, suggesting the vaccine for pregnant women and children and issuing statewide orders to protect access.
The AAP released its own vaccine recommendations on Aug. 19 in a break from federal guidance shaped by Kennedy.
The academy schedule recommends that all children ages 6 months to 23 months receive the latest COVID-19 vaccine to reduce the chance of serious illness. Children and adolescents age 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.
Wastewater data showed that COVID-19 viral activity was “high” nationwide the week ending Sept. 6.
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: COVID-19 this week: Latest data on cases, variants, deaths
