Boston-area COVID wastewater data drops: A ‘very positive change’ as virus cases decline 21%

The carefully watched Boston-area COVID wastewater tracker has revealed a “very optimistic change” in latest days as virus sewage information began to take a downward flip.

In the meantime, state well being officers on Tuesday reported 2,693 new COVID instances, one other drop in infections whereas virus hospitalizations ticked up.

The predictive wastewater tracker had lately proven a spike again to excessive January ranges because the omicron BA.2 variant, together with a subvariant recognized as BA.2.12.1, unfold throughout the area. However within the final week, the south-of-Boston COVID wastewater common has dropped 31%, and the north-of-Boston common has gone down 19%.

The wastewater downturn “may very well be the start of the top” of this spring wave if this development continues, stated Davidson Hamer, a Boston College College of Public Well being infectious ailments specialist.

“I see this as a really optimistic change particularly because it additionally seems just like the variety of confirmed and reported COVID-19 instances has decreased in the previous couple of days,” he added. “So long as there is no such thing as a post-commencement surge in instances given all of the latest commencement actions throughout the state, we may have this small wave step by step subside and have a comparatively worry-free June forward.”

Matthew Fox, a Boston College College of Public Well being epidemiology professor, known as the wastewater drop a “optimistic signal and never a really stunning one.”

“Omicron may be very intense so waves are usually shorter and bigger, however we had a sense this one could be shorter and a much less intense wave than earlier ones due to the constructed up immunity,” Fox stated. “We don’t know for positive that the wave will begin to finish quickly however the wastewater information has been fairly dependable up to now, so I’m optimistic.”

In Tuesday’s COVID report, the state Division of Public Well being reported 2,693 COVID instances, a 21% lower from 3,425 infections recorded final Tuesday.

The state’s common % positivity is now 8.58%, down from the speed of 9.12% final week.

State well being officers reported 33 COVID deaths, bringing the state’s complete recorded loss of life toll to twenty,533. The 33 new deaths are from Saturday via Monday. The day by day common of COVID deaths is now eight. The loss of life fee had been a lot greater after omicron hospitalizations surged.

After COVID hospitalizations ticked up by 28 sufferers, the state’s general affected person depend is now 835 sufferers. Hospitalizations have been rising after a number of weeks of elevated instances.

There are actually 79 coronavirus sufferers in intensive care models, and 39 sufferers are intubated throughout the state.

Within the state’s weekly breakthrough report, the state reported 16,791 breakthrough infections final week — an 11% lower from the 18,820 totally vaccinated instances within the prior report.

There was a one-week enhance of 201 totally vaxxed sufferers, down from the earlier weekly enhance of 241 totally vaxxed sufferers. The state additionally reported a one-week enhance of 49 deaths, just like the 47 deaths within the earlier week.