The Ten States with the Highest Covid Positivity Rates

According to Becker’s Hospital Review, as of March 23, 2021, these ten states have the highest Covid positivity rates in the United States:

1. Idaho:  21.6%.  The testing rate is 78 per 100,000 people.
2. Iowa:  19%.  The testing rate is 51.1/100,000.
3. Alabama:  14.1%.  The testing rate is 73.4/100,000.
4. Mississippi:  13.5%.  The testing rate is 72.7/100,000.
5. Kansas:  9.8%.  The testing rate is 63.6/100,000.
6. Michigan:  9.2%.  The testing rate is 357.9/100,000.
7. Tennessee:  9%.  The testing rate is 205.1/100,000.
8. Georgia:  8.8%.  The testing rate is 178.1/100,000.
9. Kentucky:  8.1%.  The testing rate is 178.9/100,000.
10. New Jersey:  7.9%.  The testing rate is 577.9/100.000.

Clearly, these are some of the most dangerous states to live in or travel to at the moment, and some of these states have no mask mandates or other sensible precautions in place as the Covid-19 pandemic continues.

By comparison, here are the five states with the lowest positivity rates:

1. California:  1.6%.  The testing rate is 414/100,000.
2. Hawaii:  1.6%.  The testing rate is 376/100,000.
3. Vermont:  1.5%.  The testing rate is 1,336.1/100,000.
4. Maine:  0.9%.  The testing rate is 1,726/100,000.
5. South Dakota:  0.4%.  The testing rate is 5,291.5/100,000.

Note that the states with the lowest positivity rates generally have the highest testing rates, while the five states with the highest positivity rates have the lowest testing rates per 100,000 people.  Where testing is high, people who have Covid can be identified and treated.  Where testing is lowest, Covid is more easily spread because many of the infected don’t know they are positive and thus are more likely to pass on the virus to others.