Traces of COVID-19 in Ohio's wastewater treatment plans – an early warning of increased infection within a community — are remaining at low levels despite national data showing some areas of increases.
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A Bloomberg report on Monday analyzed data from the Centers for Disease Control and found that “more than a third of the CDC’s wastewater sample sites across the U.S. showed rising COVID-19 trends in the period ending March 1 to March 10, though reported cases have stayed near a recent low.” Bloomberg reported the number of sites with rising signals of COVID cases was nearly twice what it was during the first 10 days of February, when the omicron-variant cases were fading rapidly.
A CDC official told Bloomberg that wastewater levels were generally low across the board, but there was some uptick at some sites.
“These bumps may simply reflect minor increases from very low levels to still low levels. Some communities though may be starting to see an increase in COVID-19 infections, as prevention strategies in many states have changed in recent weeks,” Amy Kirby, the head of the CDC’s wastewater monitoring program, said in an email to Bloomberg.
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The Akron area is not seeing an increase in COVID sewage data, Summit County Public Health spokeswoman Marlene Martin said.
The Ohio Wastewater Monitoring Network was launched in June 2020 and monitors coronavirus gene fragments from incoming sewage collected at about 70 wastewater treatment plants across the state to provide an early warning of increased infection in communities to support and guide local and state public health actions to mitigate COVID-19, the state public health department said.
The Ohio Department of Health manages the network, in collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies, and academic institutions. The initiative is a collaboration among the ODH, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Ohio Water Resources Center at Ohio State University and other participating universities, including The University of Toledo, Kent State University and the University of Akron.
ODH’s COVID-19 Wastewater Treatment Plant Locations and Boundaries dashboard at https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/dashboards/other-resources/wastewater is automatically updated daily as data is received from various sites on different days, and ODH uploads data to the CDC multiple times per week when updated information is received.
“ODH has reported increases in a few communities, but is not seeing an overall increasing trend in wastewater viral loads across the state at this time," the state heath department said in a statement provided to Summit County Public Health and shared with the Beacon Journal. "All of the community sites with increases are still at a level that is much lower than the increases in viral loads observed during the Delta and Omicron surges across the state, for comparison. For the large majority of our sites, we have observed a continual decline in wastewater viral load data throughout February and March."
According to the ODH wastewater dashboard, which is updated on Thursdays, as of March 11, the Akron Wastewater Treatment plant COVID levels were down 81.1% from Feb. 15 to March 1. The majority of treatment plants throughout the state were decreasing, a few were remaining steady and five plants scattered throughout the state, including Canton’s, were increasing. Canton’s number was up 267.6% from Feb. 15 to March 1.
“There is a slight increase in some communities across Ohio," Martin said. "However, most of the state is at levels or low detection. The blips could be a community event or wedding.”
The ODH said it “continues to be vigilant in monitoring viral load trends and evaluating an increase in the number of sites with rising viral loads that are significant and sustained. Wastewater monitoring data should be considered along with community case numbers and other COVID-19-key indicators to inform decisions about taking actions to help limit disease spread. Ohio continues to experience an overall decline in cases and hospitalizations.”
According to the ODH COVID dashboard, which is now only updated on Thursdays starting March 16, there were 317 new COVID cases statewide in the last 24 hours and 905 was the 21-day average statewide as of March 13. During that same time frame, there were 4 hospitalizations statewide in the last 24 hours and the 21-day average was 77.
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During the peak of the omicron wave, Ohio was consistently seeing near 20,000 newly reported cases per day.
In Summit County, there were two reported cases as of March 12, the last daily date available from the state.
On Wednesday, Summit County's four hospital systems were treating 18 patients for COVID-19.
"As COVID-19 cases continue to drop across the country, we would still like to remind Summit County residents to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccinations including boosters, stay home if you are sick, and if you are immunocompromised continue to use effective prevention measures such as frequent handwashing, wearing mask in areas where adequate social distancing is not possible," Martin said.
To check the CDC's community spread levels, visit: www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/science/community-levels.html
Beacon Journal staff reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her @blinfisherABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/BettyLinFisherABJ To see her most recent stories and columns, go to www.tinyurl.com/bettylinfisher