72% of US counties — accounting for 94% of the population — likely have coronavirus epidemics, a new report says

Thomas O'Neill/NurPhoto via Getty Images

• About 72% of US counties — accounting for 94% of the population — likely already have coronavirus epidemics, according to a report from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, first reported by The New York Times.
• Even in counties with only one reported case, there's a 51% chance that an epidemic is already underway, the report said. That's because of the high percentage of asymptomatic and mild cases and limited testing.
• "I worry that many local officials are waiting until there is clear evidence of local transmission before taking action," one of the report's authors told the Times.
• The report recommended instead that local officials in all regions implement "proactive social distancing, even before two cases are confirmed."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus has spread far more widely in the US than the number of confirmed cases indicates, according to a new report from a team of disease modelers at the University of Texas at Austin.

Their modeling, which was first reported on by The New York Times, suggested that 72% of the US's 3,142 counties likely already have coronavirus epidemics, even if they don't know it yet. That accounts for 94% of the country's population.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: What it's like to get coronavirus in New York City, from diagnosis to treatment and recovery

See Also:

• The CDC released a guide on how to make a face mask without sewing skills. Materials include a bandana, a coffee filter, and hair ties.
• China is trying to relax its severe coronavirus lockdown, but a series of forced re-closures shows how hard it is to get back to normal
• What coronavirus symptoms look like, day by day

from Business Insider https://ift.tt/3bQCHC2