COVID Wastewater Levels Soar In 27 US States | Are You In A High-Risk Area?

If it feels like more people around you are catching COVID-19, you’re not imagining things. Recent data shows that over half of the U.S. states are now reporting the highest levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Here’s what you need to know about this situation and how you can protect yourself.

The Rise In COVID-19 Cases

Recent tests have revealed that many states are experiencing significant virus activity. As of August 9, states on the "very high" list include California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Wyoming, Alaska, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Alabama, Mississippi, Kansas, Missouri, Idaho, Minnesota, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, New Mexico, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Virginia.

Meanwhile, states with lower levels of virus detection (classified as "moderate") are Arizona, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, the District of Columbia, and Connecticut. North Dakota had insufficient data for this study.

With traditional methods of tracking COVID-19 becoming less reliable, the CDC has turned to an innovative method: analyzing wastewater. This technique helps detect the virus even before people start showing symptoms. When someone with COVID-19 uses the toilet, traces of the virus enter the sewage system. It takes about five to seven days for these traces to show up in test results.

The use of wastewater testing offers an early warning system, allowing authorities to respond quickly and effectively. Since June 1, virus levels detected in wastewater have more than quadrupled across the U.S. The current dominant variant, KP.3.1.1, is responsible for approximately 28% of U.S. cases.

COVID-19 and Mortality Rates

Despite the current surge, COVID-19 is no longer the leading cause of death in the U.S. On Thursday, the CDC announced that COVID-19 has dropped to the 10th leading cause of death, falling behind heart disease, cancer, a category of injuries including gun deaths and drug overdoses, and other causes. This represents a significant drop from earlier in the pandemic when COVID-19 was the third leading cause of death.

In 2023, there were nearly 3.1 million deaths in the U.S., down from 3.3 million in 2022. The highest number of deaths occurred in 2021, with 3.4 million fatalities, largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Importance of Vaccination

The World Health Organization declared the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency over a year ago. However, experts stress that while the virus may no longer be classified as a crisis, it is still important to maintain immunity. "Population immunity has moved us out of the pandemic," says Dr. Manisha Patel, chief medical officer for the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "Now the goal is to make sure we keep that immunity up because it does wane. And the way we keep it up is through vaccination."

New COVID-19 vaccines are expected to be available later this year. The CDC recommends that everyone, except babies under 6 months old, get vaccinated to protect against serious illness this fall and winter. This recommendation applies to both individuals who have previously been vaccinated and those who have never received a COVID-19 vaccine.

If you’ve recently had COVID-19, you can wait three months before getting vaccinated. However, individuals at higher risk of severe COVID-19 might consider getting vaccinated sooner.