US - SouthWest

What states have the highest COVID rates? Map shows where it's spreading as winter approaches Is COVID going around again as the U.S. approaches the winter? Infectious disease experts share what to know and how to stay safe. TODAY

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According to viral activity in wastewater — one of the most accurate ways to measure cases since the CDC stopped tracking overall cases, — the states with the highest COVID rates, as of Nov. 30, are:

COVID map update: major shift in U.S. states with highest rates A new cluster of states across the country has seen a significant spike in the recorded COVID-19 cases. Newsweek

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For the week ending August 31, the CDC reported that 16.3 percent of all COVID-19 tests performed in the U.S.—excluding at-home test results—were coming back positive. This is a 0.4 percent decrease from the previous week, but the infection rates have not been evenly distributed across the country.

The below map illustrates the distribution of positive tests in the U.S., divided into 10 Health and Human Service regions.

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COVID update: Map shows highest US rates as new variant spreads The new KP.3.1.1 accounts for more than 1 in 3 cases as it continues to spread across the country, with some states more affected than others. Newsweek

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New data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that the highest rates of infection are found in five Southern/Southwestern states, with nearly 1 in 4 COVID tests coming out positive across Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. ...

Climate change is ending the Sun Belt boom For decades, Americans streamed from North to South. No more. AOL Staff AOL

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Since the widespread adoption of air conditioning in the 1970s, Americans have moved in droves from cold northern climes to sunny southern ones. That has led to booming populations in states such as Florida, Texas and Arizona, and a shift in economic activity from north to south.