Coronavirus Cases, Death Rates & Vaccines Rollout by State

The United States combines a vast territory, a large population, and a decentralized government. Because of this, epidemiologists have a complex task ahead of them when attempting to draw all-encompassing recommendations or even to describe widespread trends in Coronavirus cases.

Across the country, infection and death rates are best analyzed on a state-by-state basis. Public health initiatives are always defined by the features of the local healthcare services, and by the characteristics and lifestyles of their users (El Sadr, 2020).

In addition, local authorities have enforced specific policies at key moments of this pandemic. The effectiveness of each will likely be studied for years to come. At this point, the pandemic is still ongoing, but the figures that exist so far can allow experts to gain some insights.

Confirmed Case Rates per State

The following table lists all states by the amount of total confirmed cases per 100,000 people, as recorded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). It has been arranged from highest to lowest. For reference, across the United States, the average case rate per 100,000 people is 9,866.

Mortality Rates per State

The number of confirmed Coronavirus cases per state only tells one side of the story. In each state, the direct spread of the virus has been directly addressed by local authorities in different manners. Further, testing rates have differed, which has also influenced the number of confirmed cases in each jurisdiction.

The other side of this story is told by the people who have died. The socio-economic conditions of each state’s population, and the features of its healthcare system, have also affected the outcomes of those who became ill (Karmakar, Lantz, and Tipirmeni, 2021).

In the table below, the death rate per 100,000 people is shown, divided by state. Information was arranged from highest to lowest. For comparison, the average for the United States is 175 deaths per 100,000 people. As of May 17 th, 2021, over 585,000 Americans have died due to COVID-19.

Current Spread and Fatality Trends

As can be gleaned from the figures above, the overall death rates for Coronavirus are still defined by the effects of the initial wave, between March and May 2020. Ever since localized surges have occurred in specific states at varying intervals. On a national scale, both cases and fatalities reached their highest peak during winter 2021.

Beginning in March 2021, cases and fatalities began to diminish once again. Currently, the daily count for reported deaths has fallen by 14%, and the confirmed case count has fallen by 19.1%.

Yet, cases, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to increase in specific states. Over the past week, the following hotspots have been identified.

The table below displays the states who have had the highest Coronavirus case and death rates (per 100,000 people) over the past 7 days.

Vaccination Rollout

As of May 17 th, the following states have fully vaccinated the largest percentages of their population:

Meanwhile, vaccination rates remain the lowest in the following states:

Final Thoughts

The evolution of case counts and mortality rates has been influenced by varied factors. These include the presence of local measures, including partial lockdowns, mask mandates, and travel patterns. During the early months of 2021, the presence of more transmissible variants of concern has also played a role.

The current respite seems to coincide with the beginning of the mass vaccination sites. Yet, it remains difficult to discern conclusive unifying patterns between new Coronavirus cases, mortality, and local circumstances.

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2021). COVID Data Tracker. Accessed on May 16 th, 2021 at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/

El-Sadr W. M. (2020). What one pandemic can teach us in facing another. AIDS (London, England), 34(12), 1757–1759. https://doi.org/10.1097/QAD.0000000000002636

Karmakar, M., Lantz, P. M., & Tipirneni, R. (2021). Association of social and demographic factors with COVID-19 incidence and death rates in the US. JAMA network open, 4(1), e2036462-e2036462.

Mayo Clinic. (2021). U.S. coronavirus map: What do the trends mean for you?. Accessed on May 17 th, 2021 at https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/map (image)

The Washington Post. (2021) U.S. Coronavirus cases and state maps. Accessed on May 17 th, 2021 at https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/ (image)

Originally published at https://blog.nationalcoronavirushotline.com on May 27, 2021.