With COVID transmission data removed from the CDC website after the end of the public health emergency, wastewater is now our best indicator for surges.
And wastewater data shows that all of NYC has high COVID levels.
mbcolli.shinyapps.io/SARS2EWSP/_w_e…
Note that NYC switched to a more sensitive COVID wastewater detection method in March. But per Dr. David Larsen who runs the dashboard, this isn't responsible for the increase. So likely uptick is due to real world COVID spread.
(Reported by @Gothamist: gothamist.com/news/is-covid-…)
Note that New York State COVID wastewater levels are graded high, moderate, and low. These levels correlate to similar ones on the CDC's old transmission map tracking COVID tests. Intent is to make NYS wastewater data easier to interpret to the public & to make policy decisions.
It isn't surprising that we are seeing an uptick of COVID cases at the start of summer of 2023. We've seen a similar pattern ever since Omicron appeared, where there's been a high level of COVID spread throughout the whole year apart from a couple of months in spring.
Previous CDC guidance directed hospitals to institute mask mandates when COVID transmission is high. They removed this when the PHE ended, citing lack of testing data as an excuse.
But wastewater data shows COVID levels are high. NYC hospitals should #KeepMasksInHealthcare!
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