Only six U.S. states genetically sequenced more than 1 percent of their total coronavirus cases during the pandemic, compared to the national average of just over 0.3 percent, according to data released this week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These states include Hawaii (2.8%), Washington (2.1%), Maine (1.7%), Wyoming (1.6%), Utah (1.5%) and Oregon (1.2%). .
Meanwhile, nearly half of the states sequenced less than one-tenth of one percent of their confirmed cases – 24 in total.
These are the states that formed the highest gross number of genetic sequences:
- Texas: Over 15,000
- California: Over 11,000
- New York: About 7,600
Fourteen states report less than 100 sequences each.
These numbers come from sequences in a publicly accessible database from January 2020 to January 2021 and may not represent the full number of samples that were analyzed.
Laboratories in the United States sent 92,000 coronavirus sequences – about 0.3% of all cases – to a genomics database known as GISAID. In comparison, the UK has filed almost 197,000 – just over 5% of all its cases.
The United States has stepped up its sequencing efforts and is about to process at least 7,000 samples a week, according to CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky.
Experts previously told CNN that the US should target sequencing from 5% to 10% of cases, in line with UK sequencing efforts. Given the cases of the last seven days, this would amount to about 50,000 to 100,000 sequences in a week.