Data: CDC; Note: Data for the two most recent weeks may be incomplete due to delays in reporting; Chart: Alice Feng/Axios
Utah has "very high" levels of COVID-19 as we head into the holiday travel season, Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng report from the latest CDC wastewater data.
Why it matters: Given how much traveling people will be doing this month, it's likely that the state's COVID situation will worsen over the coming weeks.
The big picture: As of early December, 22 states had "very high" COVID-19 wastewater levels as defined by the CDC, which compares current rates to baseline measurements at sites nationwide.
Meanwhile, the CDC recently sounded the alarm on low levels of COVID-19, flu and RSV vaccinations so far this winter.
Of note:Wastewater analysis is one of the best methods for tracking the spread of COVID-19 these days, given how few people are testing and how few of those results are reported to local or state health officials.
The latest: Utah's wastewater testing map showed elevated virus levels at sites throughout the state as of Monday.