Purpose
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID-NET) monitors laboratory-confirmed, COVID-19-associated hospitalizations among children and adults.
Overview
COVID-NET is part of the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET), which monitors laboratory-confirmed hospitalizations associated with COVID-19, RSV (RSV-NET), and influenza (FluSurv-NET).
COVID-NET Interactive Dashboard
The rates presented on the COVID-NET interactive dashboard can be used to follow trends and comparisons of COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in different demographic groups and over time.
How to Use the COVID-NET Interactive Dashboard
1) Select a topic of interest
To use the COVID-NET interactive dashboard, select a topic to see specific data trends. Topics include rates by season, site, age group, sex, or race and ethnicity as well as clinical characteristics, including underlying medical conditions, reason for admission, and patient outcomes. Hospitalizations can be viewed as weekly, monthly, or cumulative rates. Clinical characteristics can be viewed by month, quarter, or surveillance season.
2) Select a filter of interest
Topics of interest can be filtered by season, site, age group, sex, and race and ethnicity. Filters vary by topic, as not all topics have filters available.
3) Select different ways to view the data
The data can be displayed in a graph or as a table. Right click anywhere in the graph for a tabular view. Hovering your mouse over or selecting a data point or bar in the graph will display detailed information. Some graphs allow you to hide or show data from the legend for detailed analysis.
This dashboard is updated weekly. Data are preliminary and subject to change as more data become available. Rates for recent hospital admissions are subject to reporting delays that might increase around holidays or during periods of increased hospital utilization. As new data are received each week, previous rates are updated accordingly.
Why COVID-NET Data Are Important
Key Concept
COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates are used to understand trends in virus circulation, estimate disease burden, and respond to outbreaks. Demographic and detailed clinical information, including underlying conditions, allow CDC to better understand COVID-19-associated hospitalization trends and determine who is most at risk.
Case Definition
A case is defined as laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 in a person who:
- Lives in a defined COVID-NET surveillance area AND
- Tests positive for SARS-CoV-2 (using a laboratory-based molecular, antigen or serology test) within 14 days before or during hospitalization.
COVID-NET Surveillance Area
COVID-NET currently comprises 98 counties and county equivalents in the 13 states participating in the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Network. The COVID-NET surveillance area is generally similar to the U.S. population by demographics; however, COVID-NET data might not be generalizable to the entire country.
Calculating Hospitalization Rates
COVID-NET surveillance began tracking COVID-19-associated hospitalizations in March 2020. To calculate COVID-19-associated hospitalization rates, COVID-NET collects the following demographic data from cases:
- Age
- Sex
- Race and ethnicity
- County of residence
- Date of hospital admission
- Positive SARS-CoV-2 test result and date
Hospitalization rates are calculated as the number of residents in a surveillance area who are hospitalized with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19, divided by the total population estimate for that area. National Center for Health Statistics bridged-race population estimates are used as denominators for rate calculations prior to the 2020–2021 season. Beginning with the 2020–2021 season, unbridged census population estimates (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division) are used as denominators.
Collecting Clinical Data
Clinical data collected to describe clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 include:
- Medical history (e.g., underlying health conditions)
- Clinical course (i.e., progression of the COVID-19 illness such as admission to an ICU)
- Medical interventions (i.e., medical care for the COVID-19 illness such as need for mechanical ventilation)
- Outcomes (i.e., discharged from the hospital or death)
- COVID-19 vaccination history