COVID Map Update Reveals US States with 'High' Wastewater Levels

Despite the surge of travelers across the county during Thanksgiving, there was a decline in the number of states with "very high" levels of the COVID-19 virus in their wastewater. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data reveals that during the period between November 24 and November 30, only New Mexico wastewater testing reported "very high" levels of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19. Only the week prior, between November 17 and November 23, "very high" levels had been reported in Idaho and South Dakota as well as New Mexico. During Thanksgiving week, Arizona, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wyoming all reported "high" levels of wastewater COVID-19, while Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia had "moderate" levels. Additionally, 13 states reported "low" levels of wastewater SARS-CoV-2, and 18 states and D.C. reported "minimal" levels. The data from Missouri, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Mississippi, Virginia and South Dakota all have "limited coverage" for this week's data, meaning their estimated viral activity is "based on a small part (less than 5 percent) of the population and may not represent viral activity levels for the entire state or territory," the CDC explains. North Dakota also has no data for this period. The CDC tests wastewater for COVID-19 to monitor the spread of the virus in communities without relying solely on individual testing. Infected individuals often shed the virus in their feces before showing symptoms or seeking testing. Monitoring wastewater can detect the virus' presence early, even before outbreaks are noticeable. "Wastewater monitoring can detect viruses spreading from one person to another within a community earlier than clinical testing and before people who are sick go to their doctor or hospital. It can also detect infections without symptoms," the CDC states. "If you see increased wastewater viral activity levels, it might indicate that there is a higher risk of infection." Each state has a different number of wastewater sampling sites, however, so the reported viral activity may not be totally representative of levels of the virus in each community. By testing wastewater over time, health authorities can track trends in infection rates, helping to assess whether cases are increasing or decreasing in a given area. Wastewater samples can also be analyzed to identify specific variants of the virus, providing insights into how variants are spreading. During the two weeks before Thanksgiving, KP.3.1.1 made up 31 percent of COVID-19 variants in U.S. wastewater. The new XEC variant made up 26 percent, KP.3 made up 17 percent, JN.1 made up 11 percent, and "other" made up 15 percent. Four percent of COVID-19 tests nationwide came back positive during the week ending November 30, down from 4.5 percent the week before. Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Do you have a question about COVID-19? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.