# Interesting pattern on CDC bar graph **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [August 15, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216 "2020-08-15T23:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/1 "2020-08-15T23:09:45Z")
The graph my local news just showed depicted deaths, and I’ll try and find it, but scroll down to the “New Cases By Day” chart; it exhibited the same pattern that the death chart did. [https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html](https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/cases-in-us.html) In short, the cases are running in cycles that are about a week in length. Here’s another source with similar results. > **[Covid hospitalizations: See the latest trend and current count](https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/covid-hospitalizations-see-latest-trend-current-count-rcna61053)** > > The weight of the pandemic can be measured in the count of hospital beds filled with Covid-positive patients. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/2 "2020-08-16T00:01:45Z")
Not clear what you are seeing in these graphs, but if its the regular weekly slight drop in numbers, its going to be a weekend effect, when some parts of the testing-clinical care-reporting chain have a few well-deserved days off. Its often matched by a slight boost on the following two days when they catch up on the data. Its why the more useful reporting uses a 7 day running average to smooth out daily peaks and troughs that have less to do with the disease than the people managing it. But, if you have another pattern in mind, please ignore my Dopesplaining and expand your thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/3 "2020-08-16T14:05:21Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > a weekend effect > > […] > > Its why the more useful reporting uses a 7 day running average Yes, what Banksiaman says – I believe this is universally expected and accepted. I think it’s mostly got to do with when the reporting happens, but there could also be some cycling in actual medical status itself, too, as so many human phenomena depend at least a tiny bit on our weekly schedule shifts. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/4 "2020-08-16T19:06:58Z")
I posted this story on another website, which has some people there who know way more about this than I do, and several of them pointed out the same thing - that it’s more about reporting than actual incidence. The pattern was still incredibly consistent, which was why I posted it here. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/5 "2020-08-16T22:54:52Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > The pattern was still incredibly consistent, which was why I posted it here. The frequency of Sundays has, historically, been incredibly consistent. It’s like clockwork. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/6 "2020-08-17T01:20:02Z")
Almost like once you get rid of it, 144 hours later it comes back. ---
**Author:** ![Lance\_Turbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lance_turbo/32/6156_2.png) [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/7 "2020-08-17T01:29:24Z")
Astonishing regularity. I read somewhere that this even predates COVID 19. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/8 "2020-08-17T01:41:51Z")
You don’t say. Surely you jest. You do realize then that if we can prove it predates the Commies, we’re going to have to blame the Jews? ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/9 "2020-08-17T01:44:53Z")
We got very similar spikes here in vic.au, but on a 5 day cycle. I think that apart from the 7-day effect, the spread is actually very spiky. ---
**Author:** ![ThisIsTheEnd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisistheend/32/4713_2.png) [@ThisIsTheEnd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisIsTheEnd)\ **Post date:** [August 17, 2020, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/interesting-pattern-on-cdc-bar-graph/918216/10 "2020-08-17T12:11:06Z")
Look at the US Daily cases chart and think of a stock chart. The last 2 weeks in the US represents a pullback in an uptrend. Labor Day weekend + opening schools in person = next spike will be higher than the late July one. Probably new highs in late October/early November. Hope I’m wrong.