You and your friends are not the only ones who have recently gotten COVID-19 sick: The pipes show that the number of cases is going up in the Bay Area. The California Department of Public Health says that the area now has the most virus-filled garbage in all of California.
Amanda Bidwell, a wastewater researcher and data analyst at Stanford, told SFGATE in an email that for the past 21 days, “consistently high concentrations” of SARS-CoV-2 have been found in wastewater samples from all over San Francisco.
Bidwell said, “Right now we’re seeing some of the highest concentrations we’ve ever measured” at these spots. And in San Francisco, the levels are getting close to what they were in December and January. Because some people lose the virus before they are tested, this way of keeping an eye on wastewater helps predict future surges by including information from people who don’t have any symptoms.
COVID values were high in Vallejo, Novato, western Contra Costa County, Sausalito, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, and San Jose as of June 11. They were also high in San Francisco. And it’s not just the Bay Area that has the virus.
“Wastewater concentrations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in San Francisco and many other places across California have been rising,” the CDPH told SFGATE in a written statement. “This suggests that COVID-19 cases are rising.”
There has been a trend like this in the past. According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, COVID cases tend to rise from late spring to late summer.
“Last year, the summer peak started in early July 2023,” Bidwell told SFGATE via email. “This year, it looks like it may be happening a little earlier than last year.”
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Peter Chin-Hong told SFGATE that reinfection happens “almost like clockwork.” It’s mostly biology, but people also do things that make it happen.
Last August, he told SFGATE, there was a “swell” of COVID cases because of travel during the summer, lowered immunity, and very hot weather. After about four months, our defenses start to break down. This means that anyone who got sick in the winter will probably get sick again in the summer.
“For sure, I think the number of cases will go up,” Chin-Hong said. “Well, we already have.” Only because we are stronger this year, I think it will be smaller than last year. But that doesn’t mean some people won’t get sick.
Chin-Hong said that the recent rise in COVID-19 wastewater levels is probably also caused by the spread of new types, graduation parties, and travel between countries. A smaller number of people are also getting the newest vaccines: CDPH data shows that only 14% of California’s people have had a recent dose, which means that generally there is less immunity.
Chin-Hong says that to stay safe, you should get the most up-to-date vaccine, bring a mask on any planned trips, and check the COVID levels in any places you plan to visit. People who don’t have strong immune systems can also ask for Paxlovid ahead of time, he said.
The worst way to avoid getting serious COVID-19 is to stay up to date on your shots, the SFDPH wrote. “People who want to find a vaccine near them should ask their doctor or go to vaccines.gov.”
Source: SFGATE
