U.S. COVID update (August 4): Nearly 160,000 cases as summer wave continues

The COVID summer wave continued to grow for the ninth week in a row, taking the number of new cases to the highest level since early March, according to figures collected by BNO News. Hospital admissions and deaths are also increasing.

At least 158,624 new cases were reported between July 29 and August 4, up from 141,506 in the week before (+12%). Those figures were collected from state health departments and, where necessary, estimated based on hospital admissions.

Actual case numbers are higher because many hospitals and states are no longer reporting detailed COVID data. Laboratory testing is also low as most people and doctors are using at-home tests which are not included in official statistics.

In a weekly situation report, the CDC confirmed that most of the country is experiencing “consistent increases” in COVID-19 activity, causing an uptick in emergency department visits and hospitalizations, particularly among adults 65+. “Surges like this are known to occur throughout the year,” the CDC said.

During the past week, cases increased in 20 out of 29 states with consistent but limited data. There are signs the summer wave may have peaked in some areas of the country, particularly in the western region.

Nonetheless, notable increases were reported in Delaware (+84%), Vermont (+60%), Wisconsin (+57%), North Dakota (+46%), Kentucky (+34%), Ohio (+30%), Florida (+27%), Georgia (+27%), Tennessee (+27%), Maryland (+18%), New Mexico (+17%), New Jersey (+16%) and Michigan (+13%).

It’s currently estimated that COVID cases are rising in at least 35 states and territories, declining or likely declining in 2 states and territories, and stable or uncertain in 7 states and territories. Nationally, COVID test positivity is 16.3%, up from 14.3% last week.

Only 33.7% of hospitals in the U.S. submitted COVID data this week, which is slightly down from 33.9% last week and down from 91% in May. Those limited figures reveal that at least 4,554 Americans are currently hospitalized with COVID, up from 3,872 last week.

652 new COVID deaths were reported during the week, a notable uptick from last week, when 539 deaths were reported. This marks the first week since April with more than 600 new COVID deaths, the fourth week in a row with more than 500 new deaths, and the 229th week with more than 400 new deaths.

Nearly 4.3 million COVID cases have been reported in the U.S. so far this year, causing at least 316,879 hospitalizations and 34,331 deaths, according to BNO’s COVID data tracker.

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