By Ali Shafi

This week’s I4DI COVID-19 Weekly Watch showcases the continuous downward trend of daily cases and explores factors contributing to disease spread and mortality during the pandemic in the United States. With a particular focus on mortality and survival rates,  this edition casts the main spotlight on New York City.

Here are a few highlights from this week’s infographic, as of August 30:

– 1 in 58 Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, resulting in 5,913,789 cases of COVID-19 and 181,797 deaths in the United States.

– 1 in 33 positive cases in the United States resulted in death

– Coronavirus cases have decreased by a modest 1.7% over the past week, nationally, compared to 8.6% decrease last week. Florida and Mississippi are the two states with highest case decreases (21 and 20% respectfully), while the numbers continue to rise significantly in Iowa and North Dakota (100% and 98% respectively).

– Currently, the 18-34 age group has the highest case load. They are 220 times less likely to die from the virus than those aged 75-84, previously the highest case load group.

– Remdesivir, an antiviral medication, is regularly prescribed and has shortened recovery times. Ventilators are now a last resort as they may cause other, more lethal complications. Other methods such as oxygen tubes and lying patients on their stomach are taken.

– With 229,980 total confirmed cases and 23,689 deaths, New York City has a 7.4% case fatality rate.

– The highest case loads per 100,000 people are in Staten Island and the Bronx (3,154 and 3,597 respectively). Adjusted for population, Queens and the Bronx have the highest death rates of all 5 boroughs of New York City (2,789 and 3,544 respectively per 100,000).