Centers for Disease Control (CDC) monitoring of wastewater data shows Florida is one of the states with “very high” risk of covid infection.

The CDC has implemented wastewater monitoring in municipal wastewater collection systems in 50 states, three territories and five tribal organizations.

As of July 29, the map showed California, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Maryland, South Carolina and Florida with the highest rates of covid. The lowest rate was in New York State. No data was available for North Dakota and Arizona.

While most states are still reporting weekly covid deaths, the numbers are dramatically lower than at the height of the pandemic. Covid hospitalization rates are also lower than during previous years.

According to the CDC, the virus continues to mutate, which means those who already had covid once can get it again and those who were vaccinated may need annual boosters.

Summer heat has meant people are spending more time in indoor public spaces where they might be exposed to a contagious person.

Currently, the dominant variants are called KP.3 and KP.3.1.1.

Common symptoms include cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, muscle aches and fever.  Other symptoms may include new loss of taste or smell, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea and difficulty breathing.

The CDC recommends staying home and away from others if you have symptoms or test positive for the virus.

Other CDC recommendations for those with covid include:

• Contact your doctor if you have other chronic health conditions which might put you more at risk for serious complications. Treatment is more effective when administered as soon as possible after symptoms are noticed.
• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly.
• Wear a well-fitting mask if you must be around others.
• Keep a distance from others to help reduce transmission of the virus.
• Continue testing for the virus.

According to the CDC, the rapid home tests are effective in testing for the new variants. Most health insurance plans cover the cost of up to eight at-home tests without a prescription.

The CDC website explains that unlike other types of public health reporting, wastewater surveillance (monitoring) does not depend on people having access to healthcare, visiting a doctor when sick or availability of testing for an infection.

CDC’s National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) provides the public health infrastructure to monitor infectious diseases through wastewater across the country. Wastewater monitoring data can help local public health agencies identify outbreak trends early, direct prevention efforts to where they are most needed, and provide additional insight into disease spread that complements other public health surveillance data. Health departments, community leaders, and individuals can use wastewater monitoring data to make decisions about how best to protect their community.