Tracking coronavirus cases shifts in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the U.S. has revised its system for counting confirmed and potential COVID-19 cases. This change, reported by Almaty.tv citing TASS, has resulted in a significant increase in the reported number of cases.
In the last 24 hours, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. increased by 403,359, reaching 17,391,270 since the start of the pandemic. However, this figure would have been much higher without the inclusion of potential case information from Texas.
The data provided by Texas includes information on 171,505 new potential COVID-19 cases. The inclusion of these potential cases has resulted in a decrease of approximately 60,000 cases in the reported increase for the last 24 hours.
It's important to note that not all states report potential case data to the CDC. As of mid-2025, only about 27 U.S. states continue to report COVID-19 case data to the CDC following the end of the public health emergency period. These states represent around 65% of the previous year’s COVID-19 deaths, indicating that a majority of states have ceased regular case reporting to the CDC post-emergency.
The CDC's revised system for counting COVID-19 cases now includes potential cases in addition to confirmed cases. This change may affect the overall count of confirmed cases in the U.S. and the trend of the pandemic.
The CDC's website now displays a breakdown of confirmed and potential cases in the U.S. The agency is increasingly relying on alternative surveillance methods, such as wastewater monitoring and emergency department (ED) visit data, to track COVID-19 trends nationwide. Wastewater surveillance now serves as a prime indicator, with states categorized by viral activity levels (Very Low to Very High) based on SARS-CoV-2 RNA detected, reflecting local infection risks. Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are also monitored and reportedly rising in many states, especially among young children.
Without the new potential case information from Texas, the total number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. would have increased by 231,854 in the last 24 hours, according to the CDC website. The new figures were released on Saturday. The CDC's reporting system relies on data provided by individual states, with not all states reporting potential case data.
States independently decide what information to provide to the CDC. Texas began providing information on potential COVID-19 cases to the CDC on December 18. The sharp increase in reported COVID-19 cases in the U.S. can be partially attributed to the inclusion of potential cases in the CDC's reporting system.
The CDC's current policy is that reporting COVID-19 cases to the CDC is voluntary and uneven across states, with the CDC shifting focus to multiple surveillance streams to compensate for reduced case reporting. This change in reporting methods may lead to fluctuations in the reported daily increase of COVID-19 cases.
Science has shown that the CDC's revised system for counting COVID-19 cases now includes potential cases in addition to confirmed cases, which may have an impact on the overall count of cases and the trend of the pandemic. In medical-conditions related to health-and-wellness, the data provided by states, such as Texas, plays a significant role in determining the reported number of COVID-19 cases, as not all states report potential case data to the CDC.
