Oregon one of seven states with 'very high' levels of COVID-19 in wastewater

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Oregon is one of seven states with “high levels” of COVID-19 detected in its wastewater, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Oregon Health Authority spokesperson Jonathan Modie explained that the CDC’s system compares current levels of SARS-Cov-2, which causes COVID-19, with the lowest levels found in wastewater over the past six months.

The federal agency’s most recent figures from July 11 show an activity level of 10 across 23 wastewater treatment plants in Oregon with recorded data. Activity is classified as “very high” once it exceeds level eight.

“In the spring, Oregon had very low COVID-19 transmission, and it has been increasing since May — and that is why our COVID-19 levels appear very high right now on the CDC dashboard,” Modie told KOIN 6 in an email.

Arkansas, California, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and Texas were the only other states at this level.

The CDC reported that sewage tests are a helpful tool in determining whether an infectious disease is spreading throughout a certain area. People who are infected by SARS-Cov-2 often shed the virus in their feces before they notice any symptoms.

For the final week of June, the Oregon Health Authority’s respiratory virus databoard recorded an 8.9% rate of positive COVID-19 tests. The rate hadn’t been that high since mid-February.

And according to Modie, 45% of Oregon communities “have COVID-19 wastewater levels in an increasing or sustained increasing pattern.” He also said COVID-19-hospitalizations have recently increased, although they are still low compared to previous data.

At the turn of 2024, new strain JN.1. — a variant of Omicron — made up 86% of Oregon’s COVID-19 cases. That particular strain has appeared to slow down, but several over Omicron subvariants of it have popped up in the time since.

Scientists recommend staying up to date with vaccines to have at least some protection from the multiple variants.