Arizona COVID test positivity tops 11% as new variant spreads
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Arizona is among the 12 states seeing higher positivity rates for COVID-19 tests compared to the rest of the country, according to new data from the CDC.
Why it matters: Positivity rates are popping off as the "stratus" variant surges throughout the country.
- Summer outbreaks of COVID aren't surprising, especially as many children head back to school. But this recent wave comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unilaterally changed federal COVID vaccine recommendations.
Driving the news: The CDC updated its regional data for COVID-19 test positivity on Monday — accountin for the week ending Aug. 2.
Zoom in: The states with the highest COVID test positivity are New Mexico (12%), Texas (12%), Oklahoma (12%) Arkansas (12%), Louisiana (12%), Nevada (11.3%), Arizona (11.3%), California (11.3%), Alaska (11.1%), Washington (11.1%), Oregon (11.1%) and Idaho (11.1%).
Worth noting: The rest of the country's test positivity rate sits between 5% to 9.9%.
The big picture: Overall, the CDC reports that the COVID-19 trend is "growing," with 45 states experiencing a case increase. No state experienced a decline in cases as of Aug. 5, per the CDC.
- Last Friday, the CDC upgraded the national wastewater viral activity for COVID-19 from "low" to "moderate," signaling a rise in cases nationwide.
Context: The rise in COVID-19 cases amid an uptick in cases of the XFG "stratus" variant.
- Though it was first detected in January, the variant now accounts for 14% of cases in the U.S., and is the third-highest among all variants stateside, according to the CDC.
- The World Health Organization said XFG might be more likely to evade immune defenses. However, current COVID-19 vaccines "are expected to remain effective to this variant against symptomatic and severe disease," the WHO said in its June report.