CDC says coronavirus on the cusp of non-epidemic status

The CDC reported that "Nationally, levels of influenza-like illness (ILI) and COVID-19-like illness (CLI) activity remain lower than peaks seen in March and April but are increasing in most regions. The percentage of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, also increased from last week. Mortality attributed to COVID-19 decreased compared to last week and is currently at the epidemic threshold but will likely increase as additional death certificates are processed."

"The overall percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 increased from week 25 (8.1%) to week 26 (8.7%) nationally, driven by increases in seven regions. National percentages of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 by type of laboratory:

• Public health laboratories – increased from 5.6% during week 25 to 6.3% during week 26;
• Clinical laboratories – increased from 5.3% during week 25 to 5.8% during week 26;
• Commercial laboratories – increased from 8.7% during week 25 to 9.3% during week 26."

The CDC continued by saying that the percentage of fatalities due to the virus had declined for 10 consecutive weeks, writing: "Based on death certificate data, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia, influenza or COVID-19 (PIC) decreased from 9.0% during week 25 to 5.9% during week 26, representing the tenth week of a declining percentage of deaths due to PIC. The percentage is currently at the epidemic threshold but will likely change as more death certificates are processed, particularly for recent weeks."

Robert Redfield suggested toward the end of June that the number of people within the US who had been infected with coronavirus was possibly 10 times higher than the 2.4 million confirmed cases, raising the total number of people infected to 24 million, according to Daily Wire.

The CDC broke down the number of positive cases across the country on Friday, writing:

"Nationally, using combined data from the three laboratory types, the percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 with a molecular assay increased from week 25 (8.1%) to week 26 (8.7%)."

"Increases were reported in seven of ten HHS surveillance regions. Four regions reported between 4% and 6% of specimens positive for SARS-CoV-2: Regions 2 [NY/NJ/Puerto Rico], 5 [Midwest], 7 [Central] and 10 [Pacific Northwest]."

"Two regions reported between 10% and 15% of specimens positive for SARS-CoV-2: Regions 4 [South East] and 9 [South West/Coast]. Region 6 [South Central] reported >15% of specimens positive for SARS-CoV-2."

"Three regions (Regions 1 [New England], 3 [Mid-Atlantic] and 8 [Mountain]) reported a stable or decreasing percentage of specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2."

Redfield supposed that 5 to 8 percent of Americans had been infected with the contagion, saying that "young people, many newly mobile after months of lockdowns, have been getting tested more often in recent weeks and driving the surge in cases in the South and West... in the past, I just don't think we diagnosed these infections."