National COVID-19 trends, September 1
The U.S.’s summer 2026 COVID-19 wave is in full swing. All disease tracking metrics report increased spread across the country, and the school year’s start and upcoming holiday weekend will cause further outbreaks. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved updated vaccines for this year, but they may be hard to access for many people thanks to Trump administration policies. The post…
September 1 marked the continuation of the 2026 summer COVID-19 wave, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and wastewater surveillance providers. SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater rose by 15% between August 12 and August 19, with the national trend classified as "high" by WastewaterSCAN.
However, the CDC reported a "very low" national wastewater viral activity level (WVAL) for SARS-CoV-2, despite regional WVALs being "low" in the South and West, and "moderate" to "high" in some states. COVID-19 test positivity also increased slightly, from 4.4% on August 15 to 4.6% on August 22. The FDA approved updated COVID-19 vaccines, but access remains limited due to strict eligibility criteria.
Texas, in particular, has experienced high SARS-CoV-2 levels in wastewater, with 40 testing sites reporting "very high" concentrations. The CDC's infectious disease forecasting center estimates that COVID-19 cases are growing in the majority of states as of August 26. Alongside the rise in COVID-19 cases, the start of flu season is also being observed, with increasing reports of influenza-like illness.
Written by urgent.news from The Sick Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
