COVID-19 cases are rising across the United States, with 27 states reporting "very high" levels of the virus in their wastewater, according to the CDC.
The number of states with "very high" COVID-19 levels increased from 20 to 27 between July 15 and August 5, signaling a significant rise in infections.
The highest levels of COVID-19 in wastewater have been detected in Western and Southern states, where the virus is spreading more rapidly.
An increase in virus levels in wastewater often indicates that more people are getting infected, and this aligns with the rising number of positive COVID-19 tests.
The recent wave of COVID-19 infections is being driven by new variants, collectively known as FLiRT, which have mutations that help the virus enter human cells more easily.
FLiRT variants now make up 75% of all COVID-19 cases in the United States, with the subvariant KP.3.1.1 becoming the most dominant strain.
Despite the increase in COVID-19 infections, the number of hospitalizations remains relatively low, suggesting that the new variants may not cause severe illness in most cases.
The new FLiRT variants are more infectious than previous strains but generally result in milder symptoms, such as fever, cough, and fatigue.
The symptoms of the current COVID-19 variants remain similar to earlier strains, but it is important for those who test positive to self-isolate to prevent spreading the virus.
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