According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States is facing its largest summer surge in Covid-19 in two years.
Wastewater analysis reveals that Covid viral activity has reached levels not seen since July 2022, indicating the need to renew public surveillance.
On August 10, the national measure of Covid viral activity rose to 8.82%, approaching the peak of 9.56% in July 2022. These statistics come from incomplete data that may still be subject to revision.
Covid-19 cases rose dramatically in the US
The rise in viral activity from wastewater parallels increases in emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths, although these metrics have not escalated as sharply as infection rates.
Statistics from late July show roughly four Covid-related hospitalizations per 100,000 people, up from the 100,000 hospitalizations in May, according to CDC records.
Health authorities linked Covid-19 cases to wastewater
Health authorities are no longer tracking Covid-19 as meticulously as they did during the public health emergency. Instead, sewage levels became the primary metric for gauging new cases.
The rise in Covid cases has been linked to waning immunity and the emergence of new variants like JN.1, which evade existing antibodies. The reopening of schools also gives the virus ample opportunity to spread.
The timeline for the peak or decline of this surge remains uncertain. In Houston, Texas, for example, infection rates have plateaued at high levels for several weeks, noted Dr. Peter Hotez of Texas Children’s Hospital.
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