More than half of the country — including Virginia and North Carolina — has a "very high level" of COVID-19 in their wastewater, according to recent data from the CDC.
The data, which was updated last Friday, provides an early warning about levels of infections increasing, decreasing, or staying the same, the CDC says.
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“Public health officials watch for sustained increasing levels of specific viruses or bacteria in wastewater and use these data to alert clinicians, hospitals, and the community so that they can quickly take appropriate action to safeguard people’s health,” the CDC said.
The data is collected by testing the wastewater for COVID-19. People transfer the disease through their waste when they use a bathroom, sink, shower, or a similar drain that leads to the sewage system, the CDC explained.
The CDC says the data is typically updated on a weekly basis. For the CDC's state-by-state breakdown of COVID-19 wastewater viral activity, click here.
