COVID-19 Rates Appear to be Declining

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported on December 28, 2020, surveillance indicators tracking levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus circulation and associated illnesses declined slightly or remained stable during the week ending December 12, 2020. And the percentage of deaths due to pneumonia, influenza, and COVID-19 (PIC) has been increasing since October.

'While overall weekly hospitalization rates reached their highest point since the beginning of the pandemic within the past month, rates for the most recent weeks appear to be declining,' said the CDC.

Nationally, of 2,940,118 specimens tested for SARS-CoV-2 for diagnostic purposes, 12.2% were positive. 'This is a decrease compared with the previous week, during which 13.4% of specimens tested were positive,' says the CDC.