In the past week (November 10 through 16), the U.S. reported about 280,000 new COVID-19 cases, according to the CDC. This amounts to:
- An average of 40,000 new cases each day
- 86 total new cases for every 100,000 Americans
- 3% fewer new cases than last week (November 3-9)
In the past week, the U.S. also reported about 24,000 new COVID-19 patients admitted to hospitals. This amounts to:
- An average of 3,400 new admissions each day
- 7.3 total admissions for every 100,000 Americans
- 1% fewer new admissions than last week
Additionally, the U.S. reported:
- 2,200 new COVID-19 deaths (320 per day)
- 50% of new cases are caused by Omicron BQ.1 and BQ.1.1; 8% by BF.7; 5% by BN.1; 2% by BA.2.75 and BA.2.75.2 (as of November 19)
- An average of 400,000 vaccinations per day
Nationwide, reported COVID-19 cases and new hospital admissions are still in a plateau; both metrics declined very slightly this week after rising slightly last week (declining by 3% and 1%, respectively).
While we have yet to see as clear of a fall/winter surge as we did in the last two years, infection levels are still quite high. Evidence for this comes from wastewater data, which doesn’t rely on people getting PCR tests; trends from Biobot suggest that viral transmission is at a similar level to late October/early November of last year, when Delta was still the dominant variant.
Biobot’s data also indicate that the West coast region is now seeing a notable uptick in COVID-19 spread, taking over from the Northeast (which has been a regional hotspot since September). Wastewater testing sites in cities like Los Angeles is reporting significant transmission spikes in the last couple of weeks.
The West coast, like the Northeast, has been a hotspot for newer Omicron subvariants BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, according to CDC estimates. Nationwide, the BQ lineage caused about half of new cases in the last week—solidly outcompeting its parent lineage, BA.5. And there are several other Omicron subvariants spreading, including two lineages from BA.2, BF.7 and BN.1.
With all these new variants circulating and colder weather throughout the country, why haven’t we seen a significant jump in COVID-19 spread? It’s possible that the U.S. has enough prior immunity from vaccinations and past infections to prevent a big surge, White House COVID-19 coordinator Ashish Jha said at the STAT Summit last week.
I hope Jha is right, but I personally remain skeptical. Way too few people have received the new booster shots that protect against Omicron variants, while we’re heading into several weeks of holiday travel and gatherings—with fewer COVID-19 protections than in the last two years.
At the same time, the U.S. is dealing with flu and RSV surges. About a dozen states, plus New York City and Washington, D.C., reported “very high” levels of influenza-like activity in the week ending November 12, according to the CDC. And the country’s RSV wave continues at high intensity, though it might be reaching its peak.
These two respiratory diseases may be less severe than COVID-19 at an individual level (especially accounting for the burden of Long COVID), but they can still put intense pressure on healthcare systems—especially those focused on treating children. Wearing a mask, avoiding indoor crowds, improving ventilation, and other measures can protect against all three diseases.