Map Shows Where US COVID Cases Are Rising - newsweek.com

What the report says

Newsweek reported that COVID-19 transmission is increasing across much of the United States, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest epidemic trend modeling. As of July 22, the CDC estimated that infections were growing or likely growing in 37 states, with 11 states classified as stable and no states listed as declining or likely declining. Several areas lacked enough data for an estimate.

The CDC model relies on the effective reproduction number, or Rt, to assess whether spread is increasing, decreasing or staying roughly unchanged. Newsweek noted that the national estimate has moved above the growth threshold for the first time since spring 2026. States identified as growing include much of the South, such as Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee and the Carolinas, as well as populous states including California, New York, Illinois and Michigan. Arizona, New Mexico, Montana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New Jersey were among states described as stable.

The article emphasized that the CDC figures are surveillance-based estimates rather than direct case counts. That distinction matters because testing patterns and reporting practices can affect confirmed case totals, while modeling is intended to show the direction of transmission.

Newsweek also included general symptom information for NB.1.8.1, a variant sometimes called “Nimbus,” reporting that symptoms remain broadly similar to recent Omicron-descended strains, including sore throat, congestion, cough, headache, fatigue, fever and body aches. Separately, the article noted that former NIAID director Anthony Fauci appeared before a Senate committee as lawmakers continued reviewing the federal pandemic response.