National COVID-19 trends, August 4
The U.S. is about a month into a summer COVID-19 wave, with levels rising across much of the country, especially in the West and South. Still, some data sources continue to report “low” levels as compared to historical data, due to the long and lower-than-usual lull that preceded this wave. The post National COVID-19 trends, August 4 first appeared on The Sick Times .
As of July 25, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that COVID-19 test positivity rose slightly, from 2.1% positive to 2.4%, according to the latest data. SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater remained stable during the same period, with the national wastewater viral activity level being described as "very low" by the CDC.
However, wastewater surveillance data from providers like WastewaterSCAN and Biobot Analytics indicates a 29% increase in SARS-CoV-2 concentration between July 15 and July 22, and a medium trend overall.
The rise in COVID-19 cases is particularly evident in the West and South regions of the country, with some areas reporting high levels of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. The CDC maintains that levels are "very low" nationally and in all four regions, which is due to their higher baseline comparison for wastewater data. Despite this discrepancy, CDC healthcare system data still shows a rise in COVID-19 cases, with test positivity steadily increasing in several regions including the Great Lakes states, central South states, Plains states, and Southwest.
While there is no single dominant variant driving the wave, the CDC's infectious disease forecasting center estimates that COVID-19 cases are growing or likely growing in 41 states. The cyclospora parasite is also spreading, with two deaths reported in Michigan recently, both of which had significant underlying health conditions. This raises concerns about the way vulnerable individuals are being treated in public discourse.
Written by urgent.news from The Sick Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
