As the country begins to thaw out in preparation for spring, COVID-19 cases are finally waning although other viruses are on the rise.
Data from Wastewater SCAN, a network run by Stanford and Emory University that monitors sewage for signs of disease, shows concentrations of the virus have ranged from low to medium in sites across the U.S. and evidence of infections is declining.
“We’re seeing a downward trend, which is fantastic,” said Marlene Wolfe, assistant professor of environmental health at Emory University and program director for WastewaterSCAN. “Hopefully, that pattern continues as we enjoy some warmer weather and longer daylight.”
Unlike testing surveillance, which relies on patients visiting doctors who report positive results, wastewater surveillance passively picks up genetic material of viruses from people’s waste to create a picture of how prevalent the disease is throughout the country. While the wastewater data suggests COVID-19 is easing up, it also reveals other respiratory and stomach viruses are picking up. Experts say these viruses appear to be sticking around as the U.S. approaches warmer months.