Is the COVID-19 Pandemic Fading Away?

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published its weekly COVID-19 report today, showing various trends on the decline.

This good news from the CDC on March 5, 2021, includes declines in cases, hospitalizations, and mortality related to COVID-19 in the USA.

In recent weeks during 2021, there has been an overall decline of 43.1% of the COVID-19 fatality 7-day moving average since January 13th. The current 7-day average of related deaths is a 6.7% decrease from the previous 7-day average of 2,060 daily deaths.

Hospital admissions of patients with confirmed COVID-19 decreased 67% from the national 7-day average peak on January 9, 2021, to a 7-day average of 5,490 admissions on March 2, 2021.

The percent of COVID-19 RT-PCR tests that were positive continued to decline as well. The 7-day average of percent positivity from tests is now 4.5%. In January 2021, the SARS-CoV-2 virus positivity rate exceeded 10%.

The one metric that significantly increased is the number of COVID-19 vaccinations, which began in the USA on December 14, 2020. 

As of March 4th, 82.6 million vaccine doses have been administered. 

Overall, about 54.0 million people, or 16.3% of the U.S. population, have received at least one dose of vaccine. About 27.8 million people, or 8.4% of the U.S. population, have received two vaccine doses. 

As of March 4, the 7-day average number of administered vaccine doses reported to CDC per day was 2.0 million, a 36% increase from the previous week.

While this CDC report is loaded with good news, the number of SARS-CoV-2 variant cases confirmed in the USA continues to increase. Three virus variants of concern have been detected in the USA: B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1. 

A total of 2,672 B.1.1.7 variant cases have been reported in 48 jurisdictions. Sixty-eight cases attributed to B.1.351 in 17 jurisdictions and 13 cases attributed to P.1 in seven states have also been detected in the USA.

CDC and partners are increasing the numbers of specimens sequenced in laboratories around the country. The CDC says the impact of these virus variants is unknown but is being closely observed.

PrecisionVaccinations publishes research-based news.