RSV—or respiratory syncytial virus—is spiking in San Francisco, according to WastewaterSCAN data, a program that traces pathogens in municipal sewer treatment plants.
RSV is a virus that often causes colds and can be severe for infants and older adults, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
The department monitors wastewater data to help keep track of trends and local case numbers.
New data from WastewaterSCAN shows RSV rising from an August low where no virus—a score of 0—was detected in city sewage to an Oct. 28 high, with a score of over 46 parts per million at the Oceanside plant and around 26 at the Southeast plant. The start of November shows a slight drop in virus detection, but it remains higher than the last rise in September. However, the rise in RSV is still lower than over a similar period last year, when viral loads scored 55ppm by November 2022—rising from 2ppm in August.
People with an RSV infection typically display symptoms including a fever, coughing, a runny nose, wheezing and difficulty breathing.
Simple measures offer some of the best ways to slow the spread of RSV. Those can include staying home when sick, wearing a high-quality mask if you are sick or in crowded or indoor areas, covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your shirt sleeve and not your hands, and washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, according to the health department.