Wastewater surveillance expands beyond COVID-19

September 24, 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

I have a new story up this week at Science News, describing how the field of wastewater surveillance exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic and is now looking toward other public health threats.

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National numbers, September 24

September 24, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

The COVID-19 plateau that I’ve described over the last couple of weeks continues, with wastewater and test positivity data showing that viral spread has slowed in much of the U.S. However, this is likely just a lull before respiratory virus season starts in earnest.

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National numbers, September 10

September 10, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

After two months of consistent increases in major COVID-19 metrics, we have once again reached, “Has the surge peaked?” territory. Preliminary data from wastewater and testing are suggesting potential plateaus, while more people are still getting hospitalized with COVID-19.

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National numbers, September 3

September 3, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

The late-summer COVID-19 surge is still in full swing, with all major metrics showing further increases in disease spread this week. BA.2.86 isn’t spreading widely yet but is worth continued surveillance.

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National numbers, July 30

July 30, 2023.Reading time 5 minutes.

Several major metrics continue to point to a summer increase in COVID-19 spread. Coronavirus levels in wastewater are up in all major regions, as is test positivity from the CDC’s network. Hospitalizations have started ticking up as well.

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Answering reader questions about wastewater data, rapid tests, Paxlovid

May 28, 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

Answering reader questions about interpreting wastewater surveillance data, rapid test accuracy, and Paxlovid access.

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How wastewater surveillance is funded, and concerns for its future

April 2, 2023.Reading time 12 minutes.

This week, I have a new story out in Scientific American about why the wastewater surveillance infrastructure built during the pandemic may not last in the long term. While current monitoring projects aren’t likely to go anywhere right now, issues with funding, uneven commitments at state and local levels, and the overall novelty of this field may lead those programs to shut down in the coming years.

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COVID source shout-out: WastewaterSCAN’s newsletter

March 26, 2023.Reading time 2 minutes.

A few weeks ago, I learned that the WastewaterSCAN project has a newsletter, which shares updates about COVID-19 and other diseases nationally and for the Bay Area in California. It’s a helpful resource for following infectious disease trends.

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National numbers, March 26

March 26, 2023.Reading time 6 minutes.

Nationally, we continue to see the same slow decline of COVID-19 spread across the U.S., as shown by official case data, hospitalizations, and wastewater surveillance. Reported cases dropped by 13% last week compared to the week prior, while new hospital admissions dropped by 9%.

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COVID-19 is inspiring improvements to surveillance for other common viruses

February 26, 2023.Reading time 8 minutes.

This week, I have a new story out in Gothamist and WNYCabout norovirus, a nasty stomach bug that appears to be spreading a lot in the U.S. right now. The story shares some NYC-specific norovirus information, but it also talks more broadly about why it’s difficult to find precise data on this virus despite its major implications for public health. Reporting this story led me to reflect on how COVID-19 has revealed cracks in the country’s infrastructure for tracking a lot of common pathogens.

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