Important update: Healthcare facilities
CDC has updated select ways to operate healthcare systems effectively in response to COVID-19 vaccination. Learn more
UPDATE
Given new evidence on the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, CDC has updated the guidance for fully vaccinated people. CDC recommends universal indoor masking for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors to K-12 schools, regardless of vaccination status. Children should return to full-time in-person learning in the fall with layered prevention strategies in place.
UPDATE
The White House announced that vaccines will be required for international travelers coming into the United States, with an effective date of November 8, 2021. For purposes of entry into the United States, vaccines accepted will include FDA approved or authorized and WHO Emergency Use Listing vaccines. More information is available here.
UPDATE
Travel requirements to enter the United States are changing, starting November 8, 2021. More information is available here.

Estimated COVID-19 Burden

Estimated COVID-19 Burden
Updated Aug. 12, 2022

CDC is developing new methods and data sources for estimating the burden of COVID-19 to build a framework reflecting our evolving understanding of the virus.

To better reflect the full burden of COVID-19, CDC provides estimates of COVID-19 infections, symptomatic illnesses, hospitalizations, and deaths using statistical models to adjust for cases that national surveillance networks do not capture for a number of reasons. These estimates and the methodologies used to calculate them are published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and The Lancet Regional Health – Americas. These estimates will be updated periodically.

Estimated COVID-19 Infections, Symptomatic Illnesses, Hospitalizations, and Deaths in the United States

CDC estimates that from February 2020–September 2021:

1 in 4.0 (95% UI* 3.4 – 4.7) COVID–19 infections were reported.
1 in 3.4 (95% UI* 3.0 – 3.8) COVID–19 symptomatic illnesses were reported.
1 in 1.9 (95% UI* 1.7 – 2.1) COVID–19 hospitalizations were reported.
1 in 1.32 (95% UI* 1.29 – 1.34) COVID-19 deaths were reported.

These estimates suggest that during this period, there were approximately:

146.6 Million

Estimated Total Infections

124.0 Million

Estimated Symptomatic Illnesses

7.5 Million

Estimated Hospitalizations

921,000

Estimated Total Deaths

Last Updated: October 2, 2021

Table 1: Preliminary estimated COVID-19 cumulative incidence, by age group — United States, February 2020-September 2021
Infections Symptomatic Illness Hospitalizations Deaths
Age group Estimate 95% UI* Estimate 95% UI* Estimate 95% UI* Estimate 95% UI*
0-17 years 25,844,005 21,361,986 – 31,614,224 22,030,307 19,108,000 – 25,701,942 266,597 224,715 – 315,966 645 501 – 1,141
18-49 years 75,179,070 62,681,393 – 90,520,720 64,029,542 56,477,718 – 73,348,809 1,996,830 1,719,541 – 2,334,921 60,355 56,641 – 64,388
50-64 years 27,407,088 22,869,356 – 32,921,158 23,378,591 20,628,625 – 26,697,449 2,009,141 1,771,585 – 2,304,508 159,489 154,920 – 164,453
65+ years 18,012,882 14,527,427 – 22,761,991 14,626,141 12,913,173 – 16,745,092 3,232,213 2,864,006 – 3,683,201 700,882 688,959 – 713,090
All ages 146,585,169 125,980,377 – 171,574,943 123,979,337 111,032,406 – 139,954,539 7,506,029 6,715,747 – 8,465,642 921,371 902,527 – 941,172

* Adjusted estimates are presented in two parts: an uncertainty interval [UI] and a point estimate. The uncertainty interval provides a range in which the true number or rate of COVID-19 infections, symptomatic illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths would be expected to fall if the same study was repeated many times, and it gives an idea of the precision of the point estimate. A 95% uncertainty interval means that if the study were repeated 100 times, then 95 out of 100 times the uncertainty interval would contain the true point estimate. Conversely, in only 5 times out of a 100 would the uncertainty interval not contain the true point estimate.

These are preliminary estimates that may fluctuate up or down as more data become available and as we improve our understanding of the detection and reporting of COVID-19. CDC will continue to update these estimates periodically.

Table 2: Estimated rates of COVID-19 disease outcomes per 100,000, by age group — United States, February 2020-September 2021
Infection rate per 100,000 Symptomatic Illness rate per 100,000 Hospitalization rate per 100,000 Death rate per 100,000
Age group Estimate 95% UI* Estimate 95% UI* Estimate 95% UI* Estimate 95% UI*
0-17 years 35,490 29,335 – 43,414 30,253 26,240 – 35,295 366 309 – 434 0.9 0.7-1.6
18-49 years 54,860 45,740 – 66,055 46,724 41,213 – 53,525 1,457 1,255 – 1,704 43.7 41.0 – 46.6
50-64 years 43,656 36,428 – 52,439 37,239 32,859 – 42,526 3,200 2,822 – 3,671 253.5 246.2 – 261.3
65+ years 32,363 26,101 – 40,895 26,278 23,200 – 30,085 5,807 5,146 – 6,617 1296.5 1274.5 – 1319.1
All ages 44,650 38,374 – 52,262 37,764 33,821 – 42,630 2,286 2,046 – 2,579 280.7 275.0 – 286.7

* Adjusted rates are presented in two parts: an uncertainty interval [UI] and a point estimate. The uncertainty interval provides a range in which the true number or rate of COVID-19 infections, symptomatic illnesses, hospitalizations, or deaths would be expected to fall if the same study was repeated many times, and it gives an idea of the precision of the point estimate. A 95% uncertainty interval means that if the study were repeated 100 times, then 95 out of 100 times the uncertainty interval would contain the true point estimate. Conversely, in only 5 times out of a 100 would the uncertainty interval not contain the true point estimate.

Percentage of COVID-19 infections, symptomatic illness, and hospitalizations, and deaths, by age group—United States, February 2020-September 2021