COVID-19 cases are plummeting nationwide, but some Midwestern states seeing sporadic surges

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - While the number of new COVID cases seems to be plummeting nationwide, that’s not the case in all states.

More than 44 million Americans have been infected with COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic. More than 723,000 have died. Both figures continue to go up daily.

In the Midwest, there have been more than a million cases in the states of Illinois (1.6m), Ohio (1.4m), and Michigan (1.2m), with just under a million in Indiana (992K), Missouri (852k), and Wisconsin (844K).

“I’m concerned,” said Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. “We track this on a daily basis.”

Johnson said it’s disappointing there’s been surges in cases in his home state.

The Wisconsin Department of Health and Services reported 1,207 new cases on October 10th. A day later, 2,849. The numbers continue to fluctuate as new cases are evaluated.

Johnson, who said he’s had COVID, believes he has immunity from the virus, and doesn’t plan on getting the COVID shot. He explains his position on the vaccine, and questions its safety.

“What we know right now is the vaccines appear to be effective at reducing the severity of symptoms and reducing the probability of death,” he said. “On the other hand, we are seeing a rather alarming number of adverse events.”

In a new report from the U.S. Health and Human Services released earlier this month, researchers found the COVID-19 vaccine may have saved 5,500 Wisconsinites on Medicare from getting the virus. That number more than doubles for Ohio and Illinois with both states having 13,000, 9,500 in Indiana, 8,500 in Michigan, and 6,700 in Missouri.

Statistics show nationwide COVID trends appear to be changing.

“All of the parameters: cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are down,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci, Chief Medical Officer for President Joe Biden.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows at a height in September there were more than 190,000 new Covid cases reported. A month later, cases more than cut in half at nearly 64,000.

While this news is encouraging, the quest to get more Americans vaccinated remains a challenge.

The CDC reports nationwide just over 57% of the population is fully vaccinated.

DISCLOSURE: The statistics in cases stated in this report may change as new cases are evaluated.

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