United States: Despite a slight ebb in overall COVID-19 cases nationwide, the detection of coronavirus in wastewater remains “exceptionally high” across nearly half of the US, signaling an ongoing concern in many regions.
As of September 5, twenty-three states reported “very high” concentrations of coronavirus in wastewater systems, while another twenty-two states reported “high” levels, based on data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This does mark a decline from the previous week when thirty-one states were facing “very high” levels.
Following a summer surge in COVID-19 cases, infection rates are now gradually decreasing. Currently, positive test results constitute 16.3 percent of all non-home COVID tests across the US, a slight drop from the 17 percent reported the previous week, according to Newsweek.
Nevertheless, certain regions, particularly in the Southern and Central US, continue to experience heightened viral levels. The accompanying map illustrates the states most affected by elevated wastewater detections.
Monitoring viral concentrations in wastewater offers a crucial glimpse into the extent of disease spread within a community.
The recent surge in COVID-19 infections has been predominantly driven by a novel group of subvariants, colloquially known as FLiRT, which derives its name from the positioning of mutations on the virus’s spike proteins—structures that enable entry into human cells.
These spike proteins are also targets for the immune system and vaccinations, meaning alterations in their structure can enable the virus to evade immune defenses more easily. Nonetheless, existing vaccines are expected to continue offering protection against severe illness and long-term effects of COVID-19.
As of August 31, the dominant subvariant, KP.3.1.1, accounted for more than 40% of US COVID-19 cases in the preceding two weeks, with FLiRT subvariants collectively responsible for over 80 percent of the cases, as per Newsweek.
While the US has seen a gradual uptick in infections over the summer months, hospitalization and death rates have remained relatively low, it appears that although the FLiRT variants exhibit increased transmissibility, they generally cause milder symptoms.
According to the CDC, symptoms include:
– Fever or chills
– Cough
– Difficulty breathing
– Fatigue
– Muscle or body aches
– Headache
– Loss of taste or smell
– Sore throat
– Runny nose
– Nausea or vomiting
– Diarrhea
However, individuals at greater risk may still face the possibility of severe illness, making it critical to self-isolate upon receiving a positive COVID-19 test.