Colossal Summer COVID-19 Wave Hits U.S.

According to the latest from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) wastewater dashboard, the United States is experiencing a summer COVID-19 wave of infections. Nationally, the wastewater viral activity level for COVID-19 is currently “very high,” and the West has seen the highest wastewater viral activity level.

As of Aug. 10, the CDC’s measure of national COVID-19 viral activity in wastewater reached 8.82—a number slightly lower than a July 2022 peak. Before levels started growing again in May, viral activity was as low as 1.36. This year’s COVID-19 wave is coming earlier than last year’s, which occurred in late August/early September.

Emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and deaths are also growing. As of the end of July, about four patients are being hospitalized for COVID-19 for every 100,000 people in a given area, up from a low in May of about one COVID-19 hospitalization for every 100,000 people—the lowest level since the pandemic began, the CDC reported.

While hospitalizations were tracking lower than last year, in June, this year’s numbers began to surpass last year’s hospitalizations. CNN reported the increase in cases is being driven by waning immunity and new variants that have shifted enough to escape the ability of antibodies to quickly neutralize them.