As of March 2025, COVID-19 continues to impact global health, though its effects vary by region.
United States Overview:
- Infection Trends: COVID-19 infections are predominantly declining across the U.S. As of March 25, 2025, infections were “likely declining” in 31 states, “not changing” in 12, and “likely growing” in just one state.
- Variants in Circulation: The dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant is LP.8.1, accounting for 55% of cases. Other notable variants include XEC (21%) and MC.10.1 (4%). Subvariants such as MC.1, KP.3, and LF.7 are also present.
- Federal Funding Changes: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced the retrieval of $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related funds from state and local health departments, declaring the pandemic over. This decision has raised concerns about funding for ongoing public health needs.
Global Perspective:
- Hospitalizations: Globally, there were over 16,700 new COVID-19 hospitalizations and 700 ICU admissions in the reporting period, marking a 40% decrease in hospitalizations and a 31% drop in ICU admissions compared to previous periods.
- Variants of Concern: As of March 2023, variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were de-escalated from the list of variants of concern by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, as they were no longer circulating. Current variants under monitoring include Omicron subvariants like BA.2.86 and KP.3.
Vaccination and Public Health Measures:
- Vaccine Updates: The World Health Organization is collecting data to inform decisions on COVID-19 vaccine antigen composition, with deliberations scheduled for May 2025.
- Testing and Isolation Guidelines: Updated guidelines recommend testing immediately upon symptom onset and after potential exposure. Isolation is advised for at least 5 days following a positive test, with mask-wearing for an additional 5 days if symptoms improve.
Regional Highlight:
- Queensland, Australia: Between January 1 and March 23, 2025, Queensland reported 8,988 flu cases, a significant increase from 7,225 in the same period the previous year. Contributing factors include increased travel and declining vaccination rates.