CDC Data Reveals High Levels of COVID-19 in Wastewater

At present, the level of viral activity for COVID-19 in wastewater is high on a national level, according to the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System.

Wastewater, also known as sewage, can be analyzed to identify small amounts of infectious diseases that may be present in a community, even if people are not showing symptoms. The information obtained from this analysis can be used as an early warning system to indicate whether the level of infections is increasing or decreasing in the community.

According to the latest data available, as of the week ending January 27, 2024, the region with the highest level of viral activity for COVID-19 in wastewater is the South. The national wastewater viral activity level was 6.92, while the level in the Midwest was 5.70, the Northeast was 6.66, and the West was 6.18. However, the South had the highest level of viral activity at 13.69. These data are subject to change and were last updated on February 15, 2024.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wastewater COVID-19 national and regional trends. Last updated February 15, 2024. Accessed February 22, 2024. https://www.cdc.gov/nwss/rv/COVID19-nationaltrend.html