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“Very high” COVID-19 levels in wastewater in the US. What you should know

tabnews August 15, 2024
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With the number of COVID-19 cases expected to rise this summer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that “very high” levels of the virus have been detected in wastewater in more than half of the country.

Here's what you need to know about COVID transmission in Delaware and the latest health and safety guidelines.

Overview of COVID activities

The CDC states that “wastewater can be tested to detect traces of infectious diseases circulating in a community, even when people do not have symptoms.”

This data also serves as an early warning signal that infections may be increasing or decreasing.

As of August 9, the most recent data available from the CDC, 27 states reported “very high” virus activity in wastewater.

Delaware is not one of those states. The First State is one of 17 states reporting “high” virus activity in wastewater. Other categories include “moderate,” “low,” “minimal,” and “insufficient data” or “no data.”

According to the latest dataset, no states report “low” or “minimal” virus activity in wastewater.

In case you missed it: Why Delaware has the ninth longest emergency room wait times. Compare us to neighboring states

Which COVID-19 variants are most commonly circulating?

“FLiRT” is used to describe “a whole family of different variants – including KP.2, JN1.7 and all other variants that begin with KP or JN – that appear to have independently acquired the same set of mutations,” according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

They all originate from the JN.1 variant, which was the dominant variant in the United States for several months before being replaced by KP.2 and then by KP.3.

According to the CDC's Nowcast tracker, KP.3.1.1 is currently the predominant variant.

What are the symptoms of COVID?

People with COVID-19 can experience a variety of symptoms, from mild reactions to severe illness. According to the CDC, symptoms can appear two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.

Possible COVID-19 symptoms include:

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Stuffy or runny nose
  • New loss of taste or smell

As new COVID-19 variants emerge, symptoms may change and vary depending on vaccination status, the CDC says.

FLiRT details: How to know if you have COVID-19 this summer and what to do if your FLiRT test is positive

If you experience any of the following symptoms, these are emergency warning signs for COVID-19 and the CDC advises you to seek emergency medical attention immediately by calling 911 or contacting your local emergency department first:

  • Pale, grey or bluish skin, nail bed or lips, depending on skin tone
  • Persistent chest pain or pressure
  • Inability to stay awake

Before treatment, be sure to tell the operator that you are caring for someone who has or may have COVID-19.

COVID vaccine in autumn 2024

In the spring, health officials including the World Health Organization and the Federal Drug Administration brainstormed the formula for updated vaccines that will be available next fall, using current information and research on infection rates to determine the best virus strain to fight. New variants can and likely will emerge even after a vaccine recommendation is made, but the overall goal of the vaccine is to replace as many variants in circulation as possible.

In early June, both the FDA and WHO announced vaccination guidelines for the COVID-19 vaccine in fall 2024.

The FDA reported a decline in the effectiveness of the 2023-2024 COVID-19 Vaccine Formula—the vaccine still available to the public—against COVID-19 caused by viruses of the JN.1 lineage.

“Available data suggest that for the expected 2024-2025 U.S. respiratory virus season, an update to the current formulary of COVID-19 vaccines is warranted to better align with currently circulating JN.1 lineage viruses,” the FDA said.

The WHO adds that almost all circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants reported in publicly available databases are variants derived from JN.1.

What to do if you are behind on COVID vaccinations?

Because the virus “continues to circulate and evolve with important genetic and antigenic evolution of the spike protein,” WHO recommends using a monovalent JN.1 lineage as the antigen in future COVID-19 vaccine formulations.

Until the updated vaccine is released, the CDC recommended in February that adults ages 65 and older receive an additional dose of the current COVID-19 vaccine if they last received one in the fall.

Children ages 6 months to 4 years may need multiple doses of vaccine to be up to date, including at least one dose of the updated 2023-2024 vaccine. Everyone ages 5 and older should receive one dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine.

People with moderate or severe immunodeficiency may receive additional doses of the updated vaccine.

The agency adds that there is no “preferential recommendation” for one COVID-19 vaccine over another. Pfizer-BioNtech, Moderna and Novavax all have updated versions of the vaccine and are safe to use.

Do you have a tip or a story idea? Contact Krys'tal Griffin at [email protected].

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