The United States is currently facing its most substantial surge in COVID-19 cases since January. To aid public health experts in preventing outbreaks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is utilizing wastewater testing as an early warning system. Recent wastewater sample data indicates a significant regional increase in COVID-19 cases. The KP.3.1.1 variant is now responsible for nearly 37% of cases, with its related strain KP.3 following at 17%, according to the latest CDC data. Last week, data from the CDC showed that 32 states reported “very high” levels of wastewater viral activity across the country.
Despite some communities not showing symptoms, testing wastewater can reveal the presence of infectious diseases. This data can help detect potential changes in illness levels regionally. The Western states have been the most heavily impacted, followed by the Southern states, as shown in the infographic.
The CDC projects that COVID-19 infections will either increase or decrease in certain states while remaining stable in others. According to Aron Hall, the CDC’s deputy director for science, COVID-19 can now be considered endemic worldwide.
The continuously evolving nature of the COVID-19 virus has led to the emergence of new variants, with the latest dominant variant being FLirT. This variant, including subvariants KP.3, KP.3.1.1., and KP.2, has been rapidly spreading across the U.S. since spring.
Symptoms of the FLirT variant are generally milder compared to previous variants from the pandemic. These symptoms may include fever, coughing, exhaustion, and loss of smell or taste. The severity of symptoms can vary from mild to severe and typically appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus.
The current situation underscores the importance of vigilance and continued monitoring to combat the ongoing challenges posed by COVID-19.
Vocabulary List:
- Substantial /səbˈstænʃəl/ (adjective): Of considerable importance size or worth.
- Emergence /ɪˈmɜːrdʒəns/ (noun): The process of coming into view or becoming exposed.
- Variants /ˈværiənt/ (noun): Forms or versions of something that differ in some respect.
- Activity /ækˈtɪvɪti/ (noun): The condition of being active or engaging in an action.
- Infections /ɪnˈfɛkʃənz/ (noun): The invasion of the body by pathogens that can cause disease.
- Vigilance /ˈvɪdʒɪləns/ (noun): The action or state of keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties.
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