Preliminary U.S. COVID-19 Burden Estimates

This dataset represents preliminary weekly estimates of cumulative U.S. COVID-19 burden, including illnesses, outpatient visits, hospitalizations and deaths, since the start of 2024 respiratory season. Estimates are preliminary, and use reported weekly hospitalizations among people with a laboratory-confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The data are updated weekly as new COVID-19 hospitalizations are reported to CDC from the COVID-NET surveillance system and include both new admissions that occurred during the reporting week, as well as those admitted in previous weeks that may not have been included in earlier reporting. Each week CDC estimates a range (i.e., a lower estimate and an upper estimate) of COVID-19 hospitalizations, illnesses, outpatient visits, and deaths that have occurred since the start of respiratory season. For details, please refer to the publications [1, 8].

Note: Data are preliminary and subject to change as updated data become available. Rates for recent COVID-19 hospital admissions are subject to reporting delays; as new data are received each week, previous rates are updated accordingly. The methodology used for COVID-19 burden estimation between the surveillance periods was updated to account for inclusion of additional surveillance sites, seasonal changes to adjustment factors, revised outpatient visits, illnesses and death multiplier ratios, and improvements in estimation methods [1].

References

1. Koumans EHA, Khan D, Trejo I, et al; Estimate of Burden of COVID-19 Workgroup. Estimated burden of COVID-19 illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the US from October 2022 to September 2024. JAMA Intern Med. Published online January 5, 2026. Estimated Burden of COVID-19 Illnesses, Medical Visits, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the US From October 2022 to September 2024 | Coronavirus (COVID-19) | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network2. Reed C, Chaves SS, Daily Kirley P, et al. Estimating influenza disease burden from population-based surveillance data in the United States. PLoS One. 2015;10(3):e0118369. Estimating Influenza Disease Burden from Population-Based Surveillance Data in the United States | PLOS One3. Rolfes, MA, Foppa, IM, Garg, S, et al. Annual estimates of the burden of seasonal influenza in the United States: A tool for strengthening influenza surveillance and preparedness. Influenza Other Respi Viruses. 2018; 12: 132– 137. https://doi.org/10.1111/irv.124864. Tokars JI, Rolfes MA, Foppa IM, Reed C. An evaluation and update of methods for estimating the number of influenza cases averted by vaccination in the United States. Vaccine. 2018;36(48):7331-7337. doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.10.026 5. Collier SA, Deng L, Adam EA, Benedict KM, Beshearse EM, Blackstock AJ, Bruce BB, Derado G, Edens C, Fullerton KE, Gargano JW, Geissler AL, Hall AJ, Havelaar AH, Hill VR, Hoekstra RM, Reddy SC, Scallan E, Stokes EK, Yoder JS, Beach MJ. Estimate of Burden and Direct Healthcare Cost of Infectious Waterborne Disease in the United States. Emerg Infect Dis. 2021 Jan;27(1):140-149. doi: 10.3201/eid2701.190676. PMID: 33350905; PMCID: PMC7774540. 6. Reed C, Kim IK, Singleton JA,  et al. Estimated influenza illnesses and hospitalizations averted by vaccination–United States, 2013-14 influenza season. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014 Dec 12;63(49):1151-4. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6349a2.htm 7. Reed C, Angulo FJ, Swerdlow DL, et al. Estimates of the Prevalence of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009, United States, April–July 2009. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009;15(12):2004-2007.https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1512.091413 8. Devine O, Pham H, Gunnels B, Reese HE, Steele M, Couture A, Iuliano D, Sachdev D, Alden NB, Meek J, Witt L, Ryan PA, Reeg L, Lynfield R, Ropp SL, Barney G, Tesini BL, Shiltz E, Sutton M, Talbot HK, Reyes I, Havers FP. Extrapolating Sentinel Surveillance Information to Estimate National COVID Hospital Admission Rates: A Bayesian Modeling Approach. Influenza Other Respir Viruses. 2024 Oct;18(10):e70026. Extrapolating Sentinel Surveillance Information to Estimate National COVID Hospital Admission Rates: A Bayesian Modeling Approach - Devine - 2024 - Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses - Wiley Online Library. PMID: 39440677; PMCID: PMC114971059. COVID-NET | COVID-19 | CDC 10. https://www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/clinical-care/systematic-review-process.html11. Excess natural-cause deaths in California by cause and setting: March 2020 through February 2021 | PNAS Nexus | Oxford Academic (oup.com)12. Kruschke, J. K. 2011. Doing Bayesian data analysis: a tutorial with R and BUGS. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Section 3.3.5.

Tags: covid-19, hospitalizations, coronavirus, deaths, illnesses, outpatient visits, disease burden

Last updated: 2026-03-06 16:59:31+00:00