California, Texas, and Florida have had some of the highest numbers.
The novel coronavirus has killed over one million people in the US and while in most areas of the country life is back to “normal”, the virus is still with us. New cases are slowly rising, at the time of this writing, in what experts are saying could be a new summer surge. Of course, we’re not anywhere near the heights of the Omicron wave, at least not on paper. Continuing to take precautions could be wise to do, however, especially if you have a compromised immune system.
History repeats itself but we can also learn from it. Information available online shows that COVID rampaged through almost every part of the US, except for some sparsely inhabited regions of Utah. Which states were hit the hardest?
Here’s a look at states with the highest number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people, as reported by CNN.com.
- California 26,414 per 100K
- Texas 25,505 per 100K
- Florida 31,119 per 100K
- New York 29,469 per 100K
- Illinois 27,589 per 100K
- Pennsylvania 23, 731 per 100K
- North Carolina 27,832 per 100K
- Ohio 24,739 per 100K
- Georgia 25.375 per 100K
- Michigan 26,397 per 100K
Why California had so many cases of COVID-19
California is the most populated state in the US, and at one point deaths from COVID-19 increased there by 160% in just two weeks. This was in December 2020.
California is known for having fewer ICU beds per capita when compared with most other states. This elongated the need for stay-at-home orders when they were put in place. These were done in accordance with the number of beds available in intensive care units during the outbreak. When beds dipped below 15%, the orders would kick in and it was seen by some as a matter of survival.
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Why California had more cases per capita than other places can’t be explained with a wide sweeping answer. A few situations could have contributed, however. Experts have pointed out the millions of farm laborers who form the backbone of the state’s infamous fruit and nut farms fared poorly. They experienced much higher rates of COVID-19 infection than some other groups. This type of work is done in close indoor quarters with many people. Safety guidelines can be difficult to enforce and practicing social distancing impractical and, sometimes, impossible.
In addition, many workers on farms and in meat packing plants are migrants who must live together in crowded homes and dormitory-style buildings. This makes it easy for the virus to spread throughout the population at work and at home. Medical experts say outbreaks that happen under poor working conditions will inevitably spread to the surrounding towns and cities.
Prisons
Adding to this scene is the high number of prisons in California. Texas, California, and Florida have the highest prison populations in the US and also formed the top three states with the most reported cases of COVID-19.
As of mid-July 2022, over 600,000 people incarcerated in US prisons have been recorded as having COVID-19, accounting for about 25% of the total prison population. This, too, could have contributed to California’s high rates of infection and spread to surrounding communities, and vice versa.
The fall
Experts are warning that a seventh wave of COVID-19 is likely coming this fall. Some say it could infect upwards of 100 million people this time around, before the year is over. It could be that mask mandates will return in some parts but that remains to be seen.
To find out more about COVID-19 levels in your community, visit CDC.gov and scroll down to check by state and county.
photo credits: Marek Masik/Shutterstock.com
