Portland, Oregon (coin) — Oregon is one of seven states that have found “high levels” of COVID-19 in wastewater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Jonathan Mody, a spokesman for the Oregon Health Authority, explained that the CDC’s system compares current levels of SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, to the lowest levels detected in wastewater over the past six months.
Federal agency Latest figures Recorded data from July 11 shows an activity level of 10 across Oregon’s 23 wastewater treatment plants. An activity level above 8 is classified as “very high.”
“COVID-19 infections in Oregon were very low in the spring but have been increasing since May, which is why the CDC dashboard now shows Oregon’s COVID-19 levels as very high,” Mody told KOIN 6 in an email.
The only other states at this level were Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and Texas.
The CDC reported that sewage testing is a useful tool to determine whether infectious diseases are spreading in a particular area. Often sheds viruses The parasite can be found in the feces before symptoms are noticed.
The Oregon Health Authority’s Respiratory Virus Data Board recorded a positive COVID-19 test rate of 8.9% during the last week of June, a rate that hasn’t been that high since mid-February.
Modi also said 45% of Oregon communities are “experiencing increasing or sustained increases in discharge levels of COVID-19.” He also said COVID-19 hospitalizations have recently increased but are still low compared to previous data.
A new strain, JN.1, a variant of Omicron, accounted for 86% of COVID-19 cases in Oregon in early 2024. The spread of this strain appears to be slowing, but several variants beyond Omicron have emerged since then.
Scientists recommend staying up to date on vaccinations to get at least some protection against multiple variants.
