VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — On top of hospitalization and health department data, regional wastewater data across Virginia's seven testing sites point to an increase in the prevalence of COVID-19 in local communities.
Virginia ranks as "Very High" by the Centers for Disease Control for viral load of COVID-19 in the state's wastewater.
What was once an early tool to better understand COVID-19 trends, wastewater sampling has gradually become a supportive pillar to coronavirus tracking in conjunction with hospitalization, health department, and other medical data.
“Now that you have historical context when asking, 'What’s a wave or a surge?' it’s much easier to look at this increase at the national level and say, ‘This looks like a true COVID peak,'" said Kyle Curtis, an environmental scientist with the Hampton Roads Sanitation District.
Virginia's COVID rates, based solely on wastewater testing, test below the regional (South) levels while also being above national levels:
- Regional: 11.78
- Virginia: 10.07
- National: 9.01
The "South" region records as the second-highest region for wastewater COVID prevalence, behind "West."
Since wastewater tracking does not require participation among its testing base, Curtis argues it offers some of the most reliable COVID-19 viral tracking data.
“You’re not filtering based on just people who have tests, you’re getting everybody," he explained.
Virginia's current wastewater sampling was last matched this February. But despite the state numbers, Curtis said the Hampton Roads district itself has not seen a noticeable uptick, either.
In North Carolina, COVID wastewater rates test above the regional and national averages, approximately 70 percent higher than the rates in Virginia.