COVID Map Update Shows States With ‘Very High’ Viral Activity In Wastewater

Coronavirus detection in U.S. wastewater continues to surge, with “very high” levels reported in the majority of states, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals.
As of August 29, “very high” levels of activity have been detected in 31 states, up from 27 states on August 8 and just seven states in mid-July.
Some areas have been more affected than others, with the highest levels seen in the Southern states. This is in contrast to data collected earlier in August, when Western states showed a significant spike in wastewater detections.
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The map below shows how wastewater detections vary across the U.S.
A rise in viral levels in wastewater is often an indicator that more people are getting infected. A wave of COVID-19 infections has been seen across the U.S. this summer, driven largely by a new group of subvariants nicknamed FLiRT.
The name derives from the position of the mutations in their spike proteins — projections on the virus surface that allow them to enter our cells.
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These proteins are also used as targets by immune systems and vaccinations, so changes in their structure can allow the virus to bypass the body’s defenses more easily.
As of August 31, the now dominant subvariant, KP.3.1.1, accounted for more than 40 percent of all U.S. COVID-19 cases over the previous two weeks, according to the CDC, with the FLiRT variants accounting for more than 80 percent of cases in total.
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Meanwhile, a total of 17 percent of all COVID tests conducted in the U.S. in the week leading to August 30 (excluding at-home testing) also returned positive results.
However, the figures were slightly lower than the positive test data from the previous week, suggesting that this summer’s infection wave could finally be slowing down.
While the U.S. has seen a steady rise in infections over the summer, hospitalizations have remained relatively low. The new FLiRT variants, while more infectious, do not generally cause as severe symptoms.
The symptoms include the following, according to the CDC:
More vulnerable individuals may still be at risk of severe illness, so it is important to self-isolate if you receive a positive COVID test.
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