Map shows states where COVID levels are “high” or “very high” as heat wave spreads

According to the report, more than half of states are now seeing “high” or “very high” levels of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in their wastewater testing. Statistics According to a report published Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, This summer’s Covid wave Its share is increasing in the country.

Nationwide, the C.D.C. now says overall levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater are “high” for the first time since last winter. Levels remain “high” in Western states, where the trend is strongest started to deteriorate While other areas are now seeing rapid increases at or near “high” levels.

Friday’s update is the first since last month, as that day was the July 4 holiday.

The increase corresponds with the growing number of COVID-19 patients coming to emergency rooms. The agency says the District of Columbia and 26 states are now seeing “significant increases” in COVID-19 emergency room visits.

At the nationwide level, the average share emergency room patients The number of deaths associated with COVID-19 is also the highest since February and has increased by 115% compared to a month earlier.

overall Emergency room visits And admitted to hospital In many states, the trend remains at levels the C.D.C. considers “low,” well below the deadly peaks reached earlier in the pandemic.

But last month, the number of COVID-19 emergency room visits in Hawaii reached a “moderate” level, higher than during the previous two waves of the virus. Florida is also now in the “moderate” level, with infections rising amid a wave. who is at the top Not seen since last winter.

“We’re seeing patterns that are consistent with what we’ve seen over the summer in the last few years, where we’ve seen increases in activity this time of year that are just not as large as the activity we’ve seen during the winter,” said Aaron Hall, deputy director for science in the CDC’s Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division.

Health officer Some communities This surge in recent weeks is said to be a sign that it is time for people to take precautions against COVID-19 infection — especially Americans at Riskwith underlying health problems – start taking extra precautions like wearing a mask And testing is being done in many parts of the country.

Hall said the recent surge does not appear to be more severe than waves last summer, but it is a reminder of the importance of vaccination and other steps, such as seeking treatment for people at increased risk of severe illness.

“The activity we’re seeing right now is consistent with past trends. It’s not necessarily cause for additional concern, but it is an important reminder that there are important measures people can take to protect themselves,” he said.

When will COVID-19 peak this summer?

Most states reached “high” COVID-19 levels in wastewater last month In the WestWhere the number of COVID-19 patients in emergency rooms has also increased. private hospital There has been growth in this area as well.

Other countries have also seen COVID-19 cases rise earlier this summer than last year. In the United Kingdom, COVID-19 cases rose earlier than last year. admitted to hospital This is the highest level since February.

But there are now signs that the heat wave may have peaked in some states in the region, where the virus first gained momentum.

This week’s updated forecast from the C.D.C. guess COVID-19 infections are rising in nearly all states, but remain “stable or indeterminate” in three: Hawaii, Oregon and New Mexico.

“It’s hard to predict the future. And if COVID has taught us anything, it’s that things can always change. But based on past trends, where we’ve seen summer waves that peak around July or August, we can expect the same this year,” Hall said.

The rate of infections in nursing homes in the Pacific Northwest, a region stretching from Alaska to Oregon, declined for the second consecutive week.

In Hawaii, where the number of patients visiting COVID-19 emergency rooms this summer reached levels worse than previous winter and summer waves of the virus, the number of patients has declined over the past several weeks.

Hall warned that although COVID-19 trends have slowed after recent summer peaks, they remain far worse than during the low levels of the virus last spring.

“We don’t see, at least historically, any bottom level or lowest point between the summer and winter waves. So that’s important as we think about protecting those who are vulnerable,” he said.

What is the latest version of this COVID-19 wave?

The C.D.C. last updated its report every other week. Varying estimates After July 4, anticipating that KP.3 More than one-third of infection cases across the country are caused by this variant.

were behind it KP.2 And LB.1 The variants, two close relatives that are all descendants of the JN.1 strain, dominated infections last winter. Together, these three variants – KP.3, KP.2 and LB.1 – account for 3 out of 4 infections across the country.

Hall said there is “still no indication of increased severity of illness” with any of these variants, as the agency has said in recent weeks.

Hall said the agency tracks data from hospitals and ongoing studies, as well as detailed analysis of genetic changes in the virus, to look for signs that new variants pose an increased risk.

“None of these data sources have given us any indication that these variants cause more severe disease than has been seen previously,” he said.

By the end of June, the CDC estimated that all areas of the country were seeing a mix of these variants, although the numbers were higher in some areas than others, depending on location.

KP3 makes up the largest portion of infections in many areas of the country, while LB1 is larger around the New York and New Jersey area and KP2 is larger in New England.

Hall said that right now KP.3 and LB.1 are the variants that are spreading the fastest, though their relative growth appears to be “significantly less” than previous highly mutated strains such as the original Omicron variant.

“It’s not as dramatic as some of the changes we’ve seen in the virus before,” he said.