Coronavirus cases on college campuses might be spiking, but across the United States as a whole, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is actually dropping. That’s right—this could be the first time in a long while that we’re seeing some positive news in the fight against the pandemic.

After a major surge in June and July, most U.S. states and the country as a whole have shown a consistent decline in new cases and deaths for over 30 days now. This trend shows no signs of stopping, which is definitely something to be encouraged. Here's what this means for you:

  • Stay informed about your local situation. While the overall numbers are improving, not every city or county is following the same pattern. Keep an eye on case counts in your area to make sure you're staying safe.
  • Consider planning some activities if your area is doing well. If infection rates are low where you live, it might be a good time to go shopping, visit the doctor, or tackle home repairs.
  • Continue wearing masks in public. Even though things are getting better, the downward trend could change quickly if we let our guard down. It’s important to keep up with safety measures until the pandemic is fully under control.

The Numbers Are Finally Turning Around

As of today, the 7-day average of new confirmed cases in the U.S. has been declining for 33 consecutive days. Case numbers have dropped by more than 35% since their peak in July. At the same time, test positivity has fallen from 8.5% to 6.1%, even as testing volumes have slightly decreased. This suggests that the actual number of infections may be falling even more dramatically than the data shows.

Daily death tolls have also started to fall, although at a slower pace. Since hitting a high of over 1,100 deaths per day in early August, the daily death rate has dropped by around 15%. Now, we're seeing just under 1,000 deaths each day.

As we predicted back in June, the case fatality rate (CFR) has significantly declined from its March peak to the recent summer surge. Improved testing, earlier detection, and better treatments have all contributed to this drop. In fact, the CFR has dropped by four times compared to the beginning of the year. Despite having twice as many new cases during the latest surge, the death rate was only half as high. Researchers will continue to study these trends, using seroprevalence studies and other methods to refine their understanding.

Some Areas Are Still Struggling

Not every state is seeing the same improvement. However, the majority of states are showing a decline in overall case numbers. According to real-time R values from rt.live, over 30 states currently have R values below 1, while only seven states have R values above 1.1:

  • Hawaii
  • North and South Dakota
  • Iowa
  • North Carolina
  • Utah
  • Wisconsin

Of these, only North Carolina is reporting over 1,000 new cases per day, and none of them are in a Level 4 situation.

At the county level, only 69 U.S. counties are experiencing both a crude R value over 1.1 and a moving average of more than 25 new cases per day. Considering there are over 3,000 counties in the U.S., this is still a small number. The following states have four or more such counties:

  • Texas
  • California
  • Georgia
  • Illinois
  • Missouri
  • Mississippi
  • Kansas
  • Iowa
  • North Carolina

Among these, places like Fresno and San Bernardino in California are particularly concerning due to high case numbers and steady growth. Some smaller counties are also seeing rapid increases, possibly due to local superspreader events.

Examples include:

  • Orange County, NC
  • Pinal County, AZ
  • Mclean County, IL
  • Comanche County, OK
  • Grand Forks County, ND
  • Guam
This does not look like a lot of fun.

What Does This Mean for You and the Pandemic?

The current trend has several implications for the future of the pandemic in the U.S.:

  1. For now, success means maintaining progress. We aren’t seeing major improvements in our response, just keeping the momentum going.
  2. Some areas can cautiously start opening up again. As long as the R value stays below 1, certain regions may begin to ease restrictions, but it should be done carefully.
  3. Improved containment leads to more freedom. With fewer cases, we have a better chance of controlling the virus than we did just a month ago.

Still, the future isn’t guaranteed. We’re facing potential risks such as school reopenings, protests, and large gatherings like the Sturgis motorcycle rally. Plus, the arrival of fall brings uncertainty about how seasonal the virus might become. But the current decline is definitely a step in the right direction.

For your own life, if you don’t live in one of the areas with rising cases, now could be a great time to get things done—like visiting the doctor, going shopping, or handling home projects. While we never encourage risky behavior, if there are tasks you’ve been putting off, this period of decline might be the best time to do them. We don’t know how long this trend will last, but we do know it’s happening now. Stay alert, stay safe, and take advantage of the moment.

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