Number of Deaths due to COVID-19 Continues to Increase Throughout the Southeast (but at a Slower Rate)

There is a popular narrative that the number of new cases due to COVID-19 is due to an increase in testing. However, as I pointed out in my last post, the cumulative number of hospitalizations in the southeast increased from 25-115% in the last month, with a median increase of 45%. This statistic is independent of the number of tests, and shows that it continues to be a serious concern.

Looking at the number of deaths, we find an even bigger increase in the last month. See the graph below for a state-by-state breakout.

The increase ranges from 17% for Louisiana, which had a significant outbreak back in the spring, to 107% for Arkansas. The median for these 11 states is 57%. These percentage increases are higher than the number of hospitalizations. However, one encouraging sign is that for all these states, the percent increase in the total number of deaths due to COVID-19 was much higher during the period from April 24th to May 24th, when the median increase was 158%.