People’s CDC January 22, 2024, COVID-19 Weather Report

Wastewater levels high or very high across most US states, senate Long COVID hearing updates, actions supporting healthcare masking, sign-on letter to the ACLU due 2/1

Jan 22, 2024

The Weather

In the US, 41 out of 54 states and territories are at high or very high COVID wastewater levels as of 1/18/2024. Ten states and territories have no data available. It’s important to note that levels of “moderate,” “low,” or “minimal” do not necessarily indicate a low risk of COVID exposure in our daily lives. Viral spread is still ongoing even if at lower levels, and precautions are warranted to protect ourselves and others.

A map of the United States color coded in shades of red, orange, and gray displaying Current SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Viral Activity level, where deeper tones correlate to higher viral activity and gray indicates insufficient data. Most states display a deep red “very high” to deep orange “high” COVID-19 levels with 6 states, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Washington D.C. reporting insufficient data. Text on map reads “41 out of 54 states and territories have High or Very High Wastewater Levels. Covid-19 Wastewater Map 1/18/2024. People’s CDC. Source: CDC.” — Graph source adapted from CDC

Looking at the CDC’s national and regional wastewater data over time, we continue to see “Very High” levels nationally. It’s important to note that the last two weeks are provisional data, indicated by a gray shaded area on the graph, meaning that those values can change as additional wastewater sites report data.

A line graph with “Wastewater Viral Activity Level” indicated on the left-hand vertical axis, going from 0-14, and “week ending” across the horizontal axis, with date labels ranging from 7/22/23 to 1/6/24. A key at the bottom indicates line colors. National is black, Midwest is orange, South is purple, Northeast is light blue, and West is green. Viral activity levels peak around 1/6/24 between 13 and 14, having grown from between 4 and 6 beginning on 11/25/23. The graph indicates an earlier peak around 9/02/23, between 5 and 7. Within the gray-shaded provisional data provided for the last 2 weeks, all geographical regions begin to trend downward.
Text above and below the graph reads “Nationally, the wastewater activity level is very high. COVID-19 Wastewater Trends 1/18/2024. People’s CDC. Source: CDC.” — Graph source: CDC

Although wastewater data does not provide the same level of detail as previous PCR-based testing data, wastewater monitoring is an important ongoing resource to inform us about the current COVID situation. While the provisional data tentatively shows a downward trend this week, time will tell whether this is a true decrease in the final data. A downward trend does not mean continued decreases are guaranteed or that protections should be relaxed. Multilayered protections help drive COVID spread lower, and relaxing protections can lead to a resurgence of viral spread.

Visit the CDC’s State and Territory Trends page to see available wastewater testing near you, including the number of wastewater sites reporting. Write your elected officials to let them know you want to keep and expand wastewater testing in your area and nationally.

Wins

In November 2023, the CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) passed a series of draft proposals that will further weaken already insufficient protocols employed within healthcare settings. HICPAC refuses to reckon with the airborne nature of infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, and does not propose crucial measures such as universal masking with well-fitted respirators, isolation periods, and ventilation. The People’s CDC has penned a letter to the ACLU alerting them of HICPAC’s irresponsible decisions, and the ramifications associated with them. We hope that by working together with the ACLU, we can implement public advocacy and legal actions in order to tackle this critical issue.

You can read the full letter here.

Johns Hopkins reinstated healthcare masking on 1/12/2024, in response to high respiratory virus levels. As with many other healthcare systems and public health departments that have restored healthcare masking when facing public pressure, we hope that universal masking can become a standard of care rather than a short term response to a surge. See “Take Action” below for more information.

Variants

JN.1, now the most prominent variant in the United States, is estimated to account for 85.7% of circulating variants by 1/20/2024. HV.1 is expected to drop to 5.3%, and all other variants are estimated to make up less than 2% each. Although ongoing viral spread allows opportunities for new variants to emerge, the latest 2023-2024 COVID vaccine boosters, COVID tests, and COVID treatments are still expected to be effective for JN.1.

Current updated booster uptake is low (as of January 19, 2024, the CDC reports that only 21.5% of adults and 11% of children have received it). It is not too late to get the updated booster, and to protect yourself against the latest variant!

Although wastewater data does not provide the same level of detail as previous PCR-based testing data, wastewater monitoring is an important ongoing resource to inform us about the current COVID situation. While the provisional data tentatively shows a downward trend this week, time will tell whether this is a true decrease in the final data. A downward trend does not mean continued decreases are guaranteed or that protections should be relaxed. Multilayered protections help drive COVID spread lower, and relaxing protections can lead to a resurgence of viral spread.

Visit the CDC’s State and Territory Trends page to see available wastewater testing near you, including the number of wastewater sites reporting. Write your elected officials to let them know you want to keep and expand wastewater testing in your area and nationally.
Wins

In November 2023, the CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) passed a series of draft proposals that will further weaken already insufficient protocols employed within healthcare settings. HICPAC refuses to reckon with the airborne nature of infectious diseases such as SARS-CoV-2, and does not propose crucial measures such as universal masking with well-fitted respirators, isolation periods, and ventilation. The People’s CDC has penned a letter to the ACLU alerting them of HICPAC’s irresponsible decisions, and the ramifications associated with them. We hope that by working together with the ACLU, we can implement public advocacy and legal actions in order to tackle this critical issue.

You can read the full letter here.

Johns Hopkins reinstated healthcare masking on 1/12/2024, in response to high respiratory virus levels. As with many other healthcare systems and public health departments that have restored healthcare masking when facing public pressure, we hope that universal masking can become a standard of care rather than a short term response to a surge. See “Take Action” below for more information.
Variants

JN.1, now the most prominent variant in the United States, is estimated to account for 85.7% of circulating variants by 1/20/2024. HV.1 is expected to drop to 5.3%, and all other variants are estimated to make up less than 2% each. Although ongoing viral spread allows opportunities for new variants to emerge, the latest 2023-2024 COVID vaccine boosters, COVID tests, and COVID treatments are still expected to be effective for JN.1.

Current updated booster uptake is low (as of January 19, 2024, the CDC reports that only 21.5% of adults and 11% of children have received it). It is not too late to get the updated booster, and to protect yourself against the latest variant!

Alt text: Two stacked bar charts with two-week periods for sample collection dates on the horizontal x-axis and percentage of viral lineages among infections on the vertical y-axis. Title of the first bar chart reads “Weighted Estimates: Variant proportions based on reported genomic sequencing results” with dates ranging from 10/14/23 to 12/23/23. The second chart’s title reads “Nowcast: model-based projected estimates of variant proportions,” dates ranging from 1/6/24 to 1/20/2024. In the Nowcast Estimates for 1/6/24, JN.1 (dark purple) is projected to be the highest at 68.8 percent, HV.1 (dark gray) is estimated at 12.1 percent, JD 1.1 (neon green) is 3.2 percent, HK.3 (light blue) is 3 percent. In the Nowcast Estimates for the current two weeks beginning with 1/20/24, JN.1 (dark purple) is projected to increase to 85.7%, with HV.1 (dark gray) decreasing to 5.3%. Other variants are at smaller percentages represented by a handful of other colors as small slivers.

Graphic source: CDC Variant Tracker
Hospitalizations

In the most recent week (ending January 13, 2024), we see a slight downward trend in new hospital admissions, currently at 32,861. We see a similar slight downtick in currently hospitalized patients with COVID , at 27,879. This most recent week shows a slight decrease in hospitalizations, although it is too soon to say whether hospitalizations for the current surge have passed their peak. Hospitals continue to be overwhelmed. The data also lacks information on hospital-acquired infections. We urge you to continue taking stringent precautions, such as donning a well-fitting respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) in all indoor spaces–and especially in healthcare settings.

Alt text: A combination line and bar graph with weeks on the horizontal x-axis with date labels ranging from 1/11/2020 to 1/13/2024 (data begins to appear on 9/12/20). On the left-hand vertical y-axis (in blue), bars indicate “currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients,” measured in thousands and ranging from 0 to 140,000. On the right-hand vertical y-axis (in orange), a line indicates “weekly COVID-19 new hospital admissions per 100,000,” measured in hundreds of thousands and ranging from 0 to 40. Weekly Currently Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients and Weekly New COVID-19 Hospital Admissions per 100,000 Population peaked in mid-2020, early 2021, mid-2021, and early 2022. In the most recent week ending Jan 13, 2024, hospitalizations total 27,879 and new admissions per 100,000 population are 9.9 per 100,000, both slightly lower than the previous week.

Graphic source: CDC COVID Data Tracker

Long COVID

Amid ongoing advocacy by Long COVID groups, the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a committee hearing on “Addressing Long COVID: Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care.” The hearing included testimony from three Long COVID patients and four Long COVID physicians and researchers, bringing much-needed attention to the urgent need for funding for Long COVID research and treatments, and to the need for improved access to care for Long COVID patients. We recognize the community care modeled by some of the panelists and attendees who wore masks for the hearing, and we wish the senators on the committee would mask up as well.

Take Action

Write your elected officials to let them know that Long COVID impacts all of us, and that we need ongoing support for Long COVID research and clinical care. Ask Senators to support bill S.2560, the Long COVID Support Act. Ask Representatives to support bills HR.1114 (Long COVID RECOVERY NOW Act) and HR.3258 (TREAT Long COVID Act).

Although some healthcare settings have reinstated masking in response to high COVID levels along with high respiratory virus activity, ongoing pressure is needed to restore, keep, and expand masking broadly. Use our letter template and toolkit to call or write your elected officials in support of healthcare masking.

Want to do more to support healthcare masking? Consider starting, sharing, or joining a local campaign. Check out work in Illinois, Maryland, and Wisconsin, just to name a few. Also, sign and share our letter to the ACLU asking them to join us in supporting safe and equitable access to healthcare. Sign on is open until 2/1/2024.

Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 1/19/2023. 2) Changes in testing access as well as data reporting have led many federal data sources to become less reliable. 3) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more! https://peoplescdc.org — Graphic source: CDC Variant Tracker

Hospitalizations

In the most recent week (ending January 13, 2024), we see a slight downward trend in new hospital admissions, currently at 32,861. We see a similar slight downtick in currently hospitalized patients with COVID , at 27,879. This most recent week shows a slight decrease in hospitalizations, although it is too soon to say whether hospitalizations for the current surge have passed their peak. Hospitals continue to be overwhelmed. The data also lacks information on hospital-acquired infections. We urge you to continue taking stringent precautions, such as donning a well-fitting respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) in all indoor spaces–and especially in healthcare settings.

A combination line and bar graph with weeks on the horizontal x-axis with date labels ranging from 1/11/2020 to 1/13/2024 (data begins to appear on 9/12/20). On the left-hand vertical y-axis (in blue), bars indicate “currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients,” measured in thousands and ranging from 0 to 140,000. On the right-hand vertical y-axis (in orange), a line indicates “weekly COVID-19 new hospital admissions per 100,000,” measured in hundreds of thousands and ranging from 0 to 40. Weekly Currently Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients and Weekly New COVID-19 Hospital Admissions per 100,000 Population peaked in mid-2020, early 2021, mid-2021, and early 2022. In the most recent week ending Jan 13, 2024, hospitalizations total 27,879 and new admissions per 100,000 population are 9.9 per 100,000, both slightly lower than the previous week. — Graphic source: CDC COVID Data Tracker

Long COVID

Amid ongoing advocacy by Long COVID groups, the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a committee hearing on “Addressing Long COVID: Advancing Research and Improving Patient Care.” The hearing included testimony from three Long COVID patients and four Long COVID physicians and researchers, bringing much-needed attention to the urgent need for funding for Long COVID research and treatments, and to the need for improved access to care for Long COVID patients. We recognize the community care modeled by some of the panelists and attendees who wore masks for the hearing, and we wish the senators on the committee would mask up as well.

Take Action

Write your elected officials to let them know that Long COVID impacts all of us, and that we need ongoing support for Long COVID research and clinical care. Ask Senators to support bill S.2560, the Long COVID Support Act. Ask Representatives to support bills HR.1114 (Long COVID RECOVERY NOW Act) and HR.3258 (TREAT Long COVID Act).

Although some healthcare settings have reinstated masking in response to high COVID levels along with high respiratory virus activity, ongoing pressure is needed to restore, keep, and expand masking broadly. Use our letter template and toolkit to call or write your elected officials in support of healthcare masking.

Want to do more to support healthcare masking? Consider starting, sharing, or joining a local campaign. Check out work in Illinois, Maryland, and Wisconsin, just to name a few. Also, sign and share our letter to the ACLU asking them to join us in supporting safe and equitable access to healthcare. Sign on is open until 2/1/2024.

Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 1/19/2024. 2) Changes in testing access as well as data reporting have led many federal data sources to become less reliable. 3) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more!

https://peoplescdc.org

People's CDC