California's COVID-19 wastewater levels are high, per CDC
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California has high levels of COVID-19 heading into the holiday travel season, according to recent data by the CDC.
Why it matters: While many Americans by this point have some combination of natural and vaccine-induced immunity, COVID can still make people plenty sick and force them to miss school, work (if they can) and holiday activities.
- It also remains a potentially fatal threat for vulnerable groups, like the elderly and immunocompromised.
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. (Read more about the agency's methodology here.)
- Many of the states with "very high" levels are concentrated in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, while California is listed as "high."
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.
Yes, but: It's a relatively new method of tracking contagions that's still getting fleshed out.
The bottom line: All that said, there's enough data here to pretty clearly show a worsening COVID-19 situation nationally — especially when considered alongside other metrics, like hospitalizations, which are rising in many of the places with "very high" wastewater rates.