Previous U.S. Viral Testing Data
Previous Testing Data Aug 27, 2020
This information is no longer being updated but remains on this page for reference.
For the most current data about testing of COVID-19 in the US, visit the Testing of COVID-19 in the COVID Data Tracker.
TOTAL TESTS REPORTED
79,611,982
POSITIVE TESTS REPORTED
6,873,739
% OF POSITIVE TESTS
9 %
Tests for COVID-19
- Viral tests tell you if you currently have an infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. A positive test result means you have an infection.
- For more information on viral tests for COVID-19, see our Viral Testing page.
- Antibody blood tests, also called antibody tests, check your blood by looking for antibodies, which show if you had a previous infection with the virus.
- For more information on antibody tests for COVID-19, see our Antibody Testing page.
About the Data
- These data are compiled from a number of sources. Not all tests are reported to CDC.
- The number of positive tests in a state is not equal to the number of cases, as one person may be tested more than once.
The data on this page was collected earlier in the U.S. COVID-19 outbreak. Due to changes in where the majority of tests in the U.S. are being performed, CDC’s testing data has been modified to include tests performed by commercial, hospital, public health, and CDC laboratories. This new data is available on Testing Data in the US page and CDC COVID Data Tracker.
This information was last updated on August 26, 2020 but remains on this page for reference.
This map includes states and territories with one or more laboratories that have successfully verified and are currently using COVID-19 viral tests. As of May 11, a total of 97 public health laboratories have completed verification and are offering testing.
This list is provided by the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)external icon. Contact your state health department regarding questions about testing.
Number of specimens tested for SARS CoV-2
As of May 11, CDC labs have tested 6,275 specimens and U.S. public health labs* have tested 818,682 specimens.
![lab-specimens-tested Number of specimens tested for SARS CoV-2 by CDC labs and U.S. public health laboratories](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20201219143557im_/https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/images/lab-specimens-tested.jpg)
About the Data
Updated Daily
This page is updated daily at noon based on data confirmed at 4:00pm ET the day before. All data are preliminary and may change as more reports are received.
Reporting Public Health Laboratories
*Reporting public health labs are all 50 state public health labs, the District of Columbia, New York City, Puerto Rico, USAF, and 17 California Counties.
Specimens
This data includes only respiratory specimens tested by viral tests (i.e. nucleic acid/molecular diagnostic tests).
Dates
For state public health labs, the date represents the date of sample collection, if available, or the date tested.
For CDC labs, the date represents the date the specimen was received at CDC. (As of March 12, the dates associated with the specimens tested by CDC labs have been updated to reflect the date the specimen was received by CDC, instead of when they were collected from the patient. Use of the specimen received date better reflects when specimens became available for testing by CDC labs.)
Confirmatory Testing at CDC
As of March 14, 2020, public health laboratories using the CDC assay are no longer required by FDA to submit samples to CDC for confirmation. CDC is maintaining surge capacity while focusing on other support to state public health and on improving options for diagnostics for use in the public health sector.
Reporting Lag
§ Data during this period are incomplete because of the lag in time between when specimens are accessioned, testing is performed, and results are reported. On March 26, the lag in time extended from 4 days to 7 days.