After fifteen months of near-hopelessness, there is finally some good news on the pandemic front.
In most states, the government is reporting that the death rate for COVID-19 cases is 0.1% or less. More and more statistics are revealing that the virus is close to coming under control.
As of June 17, the seven-day average of reported cases was down by 94% from its peak in January, scaling back from over 250,000 new cases to only 14,000—down 6% from the week before.
The weekly average of COVID-related hospitalizations is also climbing downward, plummeting 13% compared to the previous seven days.
Hospitals are finally feeling some relief from the endless barrage of COVID patients. Washington, D.C. currently holds the highest concentration of COVID patients in any state, which is only 13 patients per 100,000 residents.
Since the outbreak in 2020, a number of incredible scientific milestones have been reached. Thanks to the vaccines now widely available, immunity to SARS-CoV-2 last for at least a year and grows over time, studies suggest.