Summary
WastewaterSCAN, a program that monitors diseases in wastewater, reports that several viruses remain high in the U.S. These include COVID-19, flu, and other respiratory viruses. The data helps public health officials understand and respond to disease patterns.
Key Facts
- WastewaterSCAN is a program from Stanford and Emory universities.
- It tracks viruses by looking for them in wastewater.
- Six diseases have high detection levels: human metapneumovirus (HMPV), rotavirus, COVID-19, influenza, RSV, and norovirus.
- HMPV levels increased by 11% from February to April.
- Rotavirus levels went up by 29% during the same period.
- COVID-19 levels decreased by 46%, but a new variant, Cicada, rose by 4%.
- Flu type A cases dropped by 75%, while type B remains high, with only a 3% decrease.
- RSV and norovirus levels are high, but their concentrations have decreased by 20% and 8%, respectively.
- Measles detections increased in several U.S. states.
