Demographic Burden
Wastewater viral activity alone does not tell us who is bearing the heaviest burden. Explore age, sex, and regional burden by variant and time to support equitable public health planning.
Total Burden
84.2per 100k
Hospitalization Rate
3.8per 100k
Most Affected Age
65+
Dominant Variant
JN.142%
National - SARS-CoV-2 hospitalizations per 100k
By Age Group
| Variant | 0-17 | 18-44 | 45-64 | 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
JN.1 | 35.4 | 48.2 | 72.8 | 145.6 |
XBB.1.5 | 28.1 | 42.5 | 68.3 | 132.4 |
BA.2.86 | 22.3 | 38.7 | 58.2 | 118.9 |
EG.5 | 25.6 | 40.1 | 62.4 | 125.3 |
HV.1 | 18.2 | 32.8 | 52.1 | 98.7 |
By Sex
Key Finding: Adults 65+ show consistently higher hospitalization rates across all variants. JN.1 shows the highest burden in this age group at 145.6 per 100k.
Hospitalizations per 100k population
- Male
- Female
| Region | Burden (per 100k) | Hospitalization Rate | Dominant Variant | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast | 92.4 | 4.2 | JN.1 | Stable |
| Southeast | 78.3 | 3.5 | JN.1 | Stable |
| Midwest | 85.1 | 3.9 | XBB.1.5 | Stable |
| Southwest | 72.6 | 3.2 | JN.1 | Stable |
| West | 68.9 | 3 | BA.2.86 | Stable |
Key Finding
During the current JN.1 era, the Northeast region shows the highest wastewater viral activity and hospitalization burden among adults 65+, with rates 1.7x higher than adults 18-44. This suggests a need for targeted vaccination outreach and healthcare capacity planning in this region, particularly in counties with high Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) scores.
Clinical burden and demographic context are derived from public health surveillance systems and population datasets, including state health department reports and U.S. Census/ACS population estimates.
