Here are the Centers for Disease Control’s top line COVID-19 statistics for the past four weeks:
| 4/3 | 4/10 | 4/17 | 4/24 | |
| Confirmed Cases | 239,279 | 459,165 | 661,712 | 862,648 |
| Confirmed Deaths | 5,442 | 16,570 | 28,823 | 43,451 |
| Deaths over Cases | 2.27% | 3.61% | 4.36% | 5.04% |
Don’t forget to check out the CDC’s weekly COVIDView which comes out on Fridays. The COVIDView is more encouraging reading than the bare statistics.
A new study in Health Affairs estimates “that a single symptomatic COVID-19 infection would cost a median of $3,045 in direct medical costs.”
Fierce Healthcare reports that CIGNA studied “care utilization among their commercial group and individual plan members between January and March across seven [serious] conditions and found decreases in hospitalizations across the board.”
[The lead researcher] said the team was surprised by the size of these decreases and that they were found across all seven conditions, because going without treatment for these conditions can have serious consequences.
[A research team physician] added that providers can help encourage patients to seek care in these situations by developing a care plan with those at high risk for certain conditions and having open conversations that affirm they should seek care in an emergency situation even if they should stay home otherwise.
It’s a crazy time.