Infection rates of viruses that caused major outbreaks worldwide as of 2020

In March 2020, it was estimated that the infection rate for COVID-19 ranged between 1.5 and 3.5. In comparison, the seasonal flu had an infection rate of 1.3. Data is subject to change due to the developing situation with the coronavirus pandemic.Rising infection rates could reignite virusCOVID-19 is an infectious disease that continues to threaten different parts of the world simultaneously. The number of positive cases in the United States topped 5.5 million on August 22, 2020, and the potential for new waves of infection remains. In several U.S. states, the infection rate is higher than one, which means each infected person is passing the virus to more than one other person. When an infection rate is less than one, the outbreak will weaken because the viral pathogen is not as widely spread.The importance of isolationSomeone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 can easily spread the virus to others. For this reason, patients are urged to self-isolate for around 14 days. To further reduce the risk of transmission, people who have been in close contact with a positive case should also self-isolate, even if they feel healthy. National testing programs make it easier to track the spread of the virus and are helping to flatten the infection curve. The U.S. had conducted more than 70 million coronavirus tests as of August 24, 2020 – the states of California and New York had performed more than any other.

2020年3月，COVID-19的感染率估计介于1.5至3.5之间。相较之下，季节性流感的感染率为1.3。由于新冠病毒疫情的持续发展，数据存在变动之可能。感染率的上升可能引发病毒的再度传播。COVID-19作为一种传染性疾病，正同时威胁着世界各地的多个区域。截至2020年8月22日，美国确诊病例数已超过550万，新感染浪潮的潜在风险依然存在。在数个美国州，感染率超过1，意味着每一名感染者都可能将病毒传播给超过一名他人。当感染率低于1时，疫情将逐渐减弱，因为病毒病原体的传播范围并不广泛。隔离的重要性不容忽视。确诊为COVID-19的患者很容易将病毒传播给他人。鉴于此，患者被敦促进行约14天的自我隔离。为更进一步降低传播风险，与确诊病例有过密切接触的人员也应进行自我隔离，即便他们自身感觉健康。国家检测计划有助于追踪病毒的传播，并有助于平缓感染曲线。截至2020年8月24日，美国已进行了超过7000万次新冠病毒检测——加利福尼亚州和纽约州的检测量超过其他各州。