More than half of the states are experiencing “high” or “very high” levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in their wastewater testing, according to recent figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This summer’s COVID wave is affecting a growing portion of the country.
Nationwide, the CDC reports that the overall level of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater is “high” for the first time since this past winter. Levels remain elevated across western states, where trends first began to worsen last month, while other regions are also seeing steep increases.
The uptick corresponds with a rise in the number of COVID-19 patients in emergency rooms. The District of Columbia and 26 states are now seeing “substantial increases” in COVID-19 emergency room visits, according to the CDC. Nationwide, the average share of emergency room patients with COVID-19 is the highest it has been since February, increasing by 115% from a month ago. The CDC reports that SARS-CoV-2 activity levels in wastewater are now “high” in 19 states and “very high” in 7 states. Despite this increase, overall emergency room visits and hospitalization trends remain at “low” levels in several states, far below the deadly peaks reached earlier in the pandemic.
COVID-19 emergency room visits crossed the threshold into “moderate” levels in Hawaii last month after a surge that exceeded the last two waves of the virus. Florida is also at “moderate” levels, amid a wave not seen since this past winter.
“We are seeing patterns consistent with what we have observed over the last couple of years in the summer, where upticks in activity occur around this time of year but are not as large as the winter peaks,” said Aron Hall, deputy director for science in the CDC’s Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division.
Emergency room visits with COVID-19 have climbed by 20% or more compared to the previous week in 26 states, which the CDC calls a “substantial increase.” Health authorities in some communities suggest that now might be the time for people looking to avoid COVID-19 infections — especially at-risk individuals with underlying health issues — to start taking extra precautions like masking and testing.
Hall mentioned that while the recent increase does not appear more severe than previous summer waves, it serves as a reminder of the importance of vaccination and other preventative measures for those at increased risk of severe disease.
“We don’t see a nadir or bottoming out between the summer and winter waves, at least historically. So that’s important as we think about protecting vulnerable individuals,” he said.
What is the Latest Variant in This COVID-19 Wave?
The CDC’s latest variant projections estimate that the KP.3 variant constitutes more than a third of infections nationwide. Close relatives KP.2 and LB.1, both descendants of the JN.1 strain that dominated infections this past winter, collectively make up over 75% of infections.
Hall stated there is “still no indication of increased severity of illness” associated with these variants. The CDC tracks data from hospitals and ongoing studies, as well as detailed analyses of genetic changes to the virus, to assess the risk posed by new variants.
“None of those data sources have indicated that these variants cause more severe disease than what we have seen previously,” he said.
KP.3 makes up the largest share of infections in several regions, while LB.1 is more prevalent around the New York and New Jersey area, and KP.2 is larger in New England. For now, KP.3 and LB.1 are the fastest-spreading variants, though their growth appears “considerably lower” than previous highly mutated strains like the original Omicron variant.
“It’s not anything as dramatic as some of the earlier shifts in the virus that we’ve seen,” Hall said.
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