Daily US Times: The White House coronavirus task force has warned states across the country of incomplete and “unstable” coronavirus data due to the ongoing holiday season, making it difficult to track the pandemic’s trajectory as concerns rise over continued or accelerated spread of the virus.
“Data are currently unstable, outside of daily hospital admissions, due to inconsistent reporting and incomplete data over the holidays; there will be a reporting ‘surge’ in cases and deaths as reporting catches up,” it said in multiple reports sent to state officials in December 27.
As travelers break pandemic air travel records around the country this week, task force officials, including top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci and US Surgeon General Jerome Adams, have expressed their concern about a surge upon a surge. However, reports of this week suggested it may be difficult to immediately observe that in the data in some places.
The White House coronavirus task force report said: “The East and West Coasts, Sunbelt, Tennessee, and West Virginia were in full winter surge, so it will be difficult to see the surge on top of the current, continued deterioration.”
And while the report suggested that there has been improvement of Covid-19 cases in “most of the Upper Midwest, Northern Plains, and Rocky Mountain states,” but”virus levels are still high and any post-holiday surge will be evident” in those places.
Most states “are at a high plateau for cases and test positivity, and the risk for reigniting local epidemics remains high,” according to the report.
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