Covid Levels In Boston Wastewater Surge Over the Holidays

Covid Levels In Boston Wastewater Surge Over the Holidays Well folks, as we waltz our way through the ongoing COVID-19 saga, it seems like the virus just can't resist making a comeback – talk about a persistent party crasher. Picture this: Boston-area wastewater levels, the unsung heroes of pandemic data, hit their highest notes since December 2021. Yes, you heard it right, the virus is making a splash in our sewage system. Who knew that even our pipes have COVID-19 stories to tell? The seven-day average of COVID-19 RNA copies per milliliter of wastewater is strutting its stuff at 2,743 in the northern parts of Boston and 2,583 in the southern parts. That's according to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, t It's like the virus decided to throw a northern and southern block party in our drains, uninvited, of course. It's a bit of a bummer considering that for most of summer 2023, our wastewater levels were the equivalent of a social distancing enthusiast – rarely exceeding 500 copies/mL and often lounging below the cool 300 copies/mL mark. But hold onto your face masks, because here's the silver lining – the good news! We're still rocking levels that are way below the COVID-19 heyday of late 2021 and early 2022. It's like the virus is trying to be a retro trend, but we're just not buying it. Now, before you start turning your basement into a hazmat zone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention want you to know that the wastewater metric is like our pandemic fortune teller. It spills the beans on changes in total COVID-19 infections in the community. Experts are waving their vaccination banners, reminding us that getting jabbed should be a priority. As of September 12, the CDC is recommending everyone from six months and older to get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna are at the vaccine party, ready to keep us boogieing through the winter without missing a beat. Stay vaccinated and let's keep these wastewater numbers in check, shall we? Here are five ways you can avoid getting infected.