Active COVID-19 Cases and Fatality Rate in the United States

According to Numbers Provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Active Cases = 2,893,646 (up 23,381)

(Formula: Total Cases-Closed Cases=Active Cases)

Case Fatality Rate = 2.224% (down 0.00749%)

(Formula: Total Deaths/Closed Cases=Case Fatality Rate)

Total Cases = 16,519,688 (see: Caveat 1) 

Total Deaths = 302,992 (see: Caveat 2)

Closed Cases = 13,626,022

Caveat 1: This number represents “positive tests”, not the number of people who are actually sick. Approximately 90% of these positive tests are asymptomatic and non-contagious.  The same can be said for Active Cases.  In other words, only about 10% of the Active Cases in the United States are contagious COVID-19 carriers.

Caveat 2: The criteria for classifying a death due to COVID-19 are far different from the criteria used for classifying a death due to the Seasonal Flu.  If deaths due to the Seasonal Flu were calculated with the same criteria that deaths are calculated for COVID-19, the numbers for the Seasonal Flu would skyrocket.  Likewise, if deaths due to COVID-19 were calculated with the same criteria deaths are calculated for the Seasonal Flu, the numbers for COVID-19 would plummet; the numbers are incommensurable.