More than half of U.S. states are reporting "very high" levels of COVID activity as the virus continues to spread and increase in many parts of the country, according to the latest wastewater data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At least 27 states are reporting "very high" levels and 17 states are reporting "high" levels of wastewater viral activity. The western region continues to see the highest levels followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast, respectively. Current levels are nearing but remain lower than what they were in the winter months, when there tends to be increased spread of respiratory illnesses.
Wastewater data comes with limitations in how well it represents spread in a community, but it may be the best data available, experts say. "While wastewater is not a perfect measure, it's increasingly vital in filling the gaps left by the absence of comprehensive case reporting and hospitalization data," said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children's Hospital and an ABC News contributor.
Many national surveillance systems have diminished in scope since the national public health emergency ended, leaving authorities will limited resources to monitor how the virus is spreading. "As traditional surveillance systems have dwindled, wastewater analysis has emerged as one of the most reliable tools we have to monitor COVID-19 activity in communities," Brownstein added. Other limited COVID surveillance syste.