MONDAY, April 13, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- There is variation in the cumulative incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) across jurisdictions in the United States, according to research published in the April 10 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Stephanie Bialek, M.D., M.P.H., and colleagues from the CDC COVID-19 Response Team, describe the geographic distribution of laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases and related deaths reported by each U.S. state, each territory and freely associated state, Washington D.C., and New York City (NYC) during Feb. 12 to April 7, 2020.
The researchers found that 395,926 cases of COVID-19 were reported as of April 7, 2020, in the United States, including 12,757 related deaths. There was variation in cumulative COVID-19 incidence by jurisdiction, ranging from 20.6 to 915.3 cases per 100,000 in Minnesota and NYC, respectively. National case doubling time was about 6.5 days and varied from 5.5 to 8.0 days in the 10 jurisdictions reporting the most cases. During March 31 to April 7, the absolute change in cumulative incidence varied widely, ranging from an increase of 8.3 to 418.0 cases per 100,000 in Minnesota and NYC, respectively. Geographic differences likely reflect epidemiological and population-level factors, including timing of COVID-19 introductions, population density, and timing and extent of community mitigation measures.
"A clear picture of the magnitude and changing incidence within a jurisdiction will inform decisions regarding implementation of community mitigation strategies, including social distancing, and strategic allocation of human and capital resources, such as those supporting the health care infrastructure," the authors write.
