Tracking the coronavirus outbreak in the US

US county map of confirmed and reported coronavirus cases shows larger concentrations of cases around urban areas; 4c x 5 inches; 195.7 mm x 127 mm;

Maps exist to show us where we are, as well as where we're headed. The Associated Press COVID-19 county-by-county map does just that.

Today, America's coastlines are streaked with deeper shades of red — California and New York in particular. That's where most of the cases of the coroavirus are. Farther inland, the image grows paler, showing the regions that so far have escaped the worst of the pandemic that has dramatically changed the lives of more than a billion people.

Drill down and zoom in at the individual county level, and you can access numbers that will show you the situation where you are, and where loved ones or people you're worried about live.

In the coming days, this map will remain at this link and appear in many AP stories about the pandemic. It will be updated constantly and tell the story of the virus' progression in this country.

Red areas will break out and grow deeper in some places more than others. And if Americans' efforts to stop the virus are successfull — the testing, the social isolation, the race to treatment — then red areas will begin to grow paler.