Covid wastewater levels spike in Massachusetts

BOSTON — Covid cases are on the rise in the Boston area, and new wastewater testing shows levels are now the second highest point since the start of the pandemic.

COVID variant JN.1: What are the signs, symptoms of new dominant strain

Doctors said wastewater testing is the most accurate way to track Covid activity, since most people test at home, and those numbers aren’t reported.

“What we’ve seen over time is when wastewater levels go up, it’s followed by an increase in cases we see clinically, and that’s certainly the trend were seeing now. Wastewater levels are on the rise, and so are the cases throughout the Commonwealth,” said Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, chief of infectious diseases at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Kuritzkes said the state is seeing more hospitalized people are testing positive for the virus.

“We’re certainly seeing more people in the hospital with Covid, we now have about 45-50 people in the house on the regular floors and the ICU who are testing positive for Covid, the vast majority are not in the hospital because of Covid, however,” Kuritzkes said.

There’s also a new variant, JN.1, that doctors are monitoring.

The Centers for Disease Control says the majority of the cases seen around the country in the last two weeks are linked to that new variant.

“It’s a little early to say whether JN.1 is going to escape from vaccine control or prior immunity any more successfully than other variants,” Kuritzkes said. “Certainly it has a leg up on other variants circulating before, that’s why it’s becoming predominant.”

“We have no evidence that it’s either more severe or more transmissible,” he said.

Kuritzkes stressed the importance of getting vaccinated and testing. He said it’s especially important now because of the other respiratory illnesses circulating at this time of year.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW