Yarmouth Covid Wastewater Testing Results - Jan 4, 2022
Jan 4th, 2022
- The virus level in the latest wastewater sample (Jan 3–4) is the highest that we have seen since we began wastewater testing in September 2020.
- This week's virus level represents an average of more than 415,000,000 viral copies for each person using the Yarmouth wastewater system over the 24 hour sampling period.
- We’ve had very high adjusted virus levels for nine weeks in a row, and increasing levels for seven weeks in a row.
- This current stretch of high levels is the longest that we have ever seen – including January 2021 when we were in the middle of our last surge.
Results of weekly Wastewater Testing for SARS-CoV-2 for Yarmouth, Maine from September 22, 2020–June 8, 2021 & August 26, 2021–January 4, 2022
- All Yarmouth COVID data point to continuing very high levels of COVID in our Community, particularly as the Omicron variant spreads in Maine.
- The current COVID meter remains at the Yikes! level.
Detailed Report of Yarmouth's Wastewater and other COVID Testing
The result of the most recent wastewater test, all previous tests during 2020 and 2021, and the number of reported cases of COVID-19 by week (Monday through Sunday) in the Yarmouth, Maine, zip code (04096) are shown in the figure and tables below:
Discussion of Wastewater Results and Case Reports
The virus level in this week's wastewater sample (January 3–4) is the highest since wastewater testing began in September 2020. The level continues the very high adjusted virus levels for the ninth week in a row. The current stretch of high viral levels has lasted longer and had consistently higher levels than any previous period (including January 2021). Fortunately, the rate of increase of 18% in the wastewater viral concentration since the December 21 test is slightly lower than the rates of increase of 30%, 54%, and 33% during the previous three weeks (Nov 30–Dec 7, Dec 7–Dec 14, and Dec 14–21, respectively). Let's hope that this trend continues.
This week's virus level represents an average of more than 415,000,000 viral copies for each person using the Yarmouth wastewater system over the 24 hour sampling period. Because not everyone is infected with SARS-CoV-2, this means that those who are infected are shedding up to tens of billions of viral copies each day into the wastewater system.
The 28 COVID-19 cases reported by the Maine CDC for the 7-day period from December 27, 2021–January 2, 2022, are likely an undercount for this period, based on the level of virus in Yarmouth's wastewater.
The fluctuation in the number of cases reported for the past nine weeks (November 1–January 2) is inconsistent with the continuously high and climbing levels of virus in Yarmouth's wastewater and suggests problems with the accuracy and timeliness of cases reported for this period.
With the inconsistent availability of reportable rapid tests, the use of home kits, a significant PCR testing backlog in the Maine state laboratory, and a delay in counting cases due to the recent surge in cases in Maine, it is likely that the Yarmouth wastewater levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus provide a more accurate picture of the current situation in Yarmouth than do the COVID-19 case reports.
Yarmouth School and Community Testing Results
Yarmouth is fortunate to have additional information about what is going on with the SARS-CoV-2 community spread through the Yarmouth School Department's pooled testing program and Yarmouth's weekly community testing program.
December 20–24, 2021
The Yarmouth School Department did not conduct pooled testing for SARS-CoV-2 on December 20. During the abbreviated school week of December 20–22, YES reported 2 positive cases and YHS reported 2 cases, for a total of 4 cases.
The results of the Yarmouth community testing event on Monday, December 20, were 2 positives (1.6%) out of 123 individuals tested.
December December 27–31, 2021–24
The Yarmouth Schools were closed during this week, and there was no pooled testing.
The results of the Yarmouth community testing event on Monday, December 27, were 5 positives (2.6%) out of 189 individuals tested.
January 3–7, 2022
The Yarmouth School Department conducted pooled testing for SARS-CoV-2 on January 3, 2022, which yielded 21 positive pools for SARS-CoV-2: 2 at Rowe Elementary School (Rowe), 4 at YES, 7 at HMS, and 8 at YHS. During the school week of January 3–7, 2022, Rowe reported 3 positive test results, YES reported 4 positives, HMS reported 32 positives, and YHS reported 50 positives, for a total of 89 positive test results.
The Yarmouth community testing event on Monday, January 3, 2022, showed a higher percentage of positive test results than on December 20 or 27, 2021, with 21 positives (12.4%) out of 170 individuals tested. This is the highest percent positive for any Yarmouth community testing event; the previous high was 8.9% on December 13, 2021.
Recommendations
Prepare for a continued COVID-19 surge and the arrival of Omicron, the newest SARS-CoV-2 variant. Vaccination, including boosters, of all eligible individuals and adherence to recommended practices for limiting virus transmission—such as masking, physical distancing, good ventilation, and avoiding crowded indoor spaces—are key to reducing viral infections and ongoing transmission.
Participation of students, teachers, and staff in pooled testing for SARS-CoV-2 at the Yarmouth schools and testing of individuals in non-school settings, as needed, also play an important role in identifying infected individuals so that appropriate isolation and quarantine can limit viral spread.
Expand rapid antigen testing via home tests and community testing to quickly recognize cases to ensure that persons who test positive can isolate and those that are close contacts can quarantine.
The Town of Yarmouth with the Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force and the State of Maine will make sure that persons needing isolation can get food and support during this trying time.
If assistance is needed, please call Yarmouth Community Services or the Task Force; or fill out a form for the State of Maine's Community Care (someone will usually call the same day): https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/covid-19-referral-form.
Thanks to the Yarmouth Community
The Team would like to thank the Town of Yarmouth, the Yarmouth Community Coronavirus Task Force, and individual donations for funding Yarmouth's wastewater testing program from late-August 2021 through late-February 2022.
Thanks also to Chris Cline and Yarmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility staff for collecting the weekly samples; to Tom Downing, Gro Flatebo, Laura Coroi, Dan Ostrye, and Gib Parrish for transporting wastewater samples from the Treatment Facility to the laboratory at Saint Joseph's College; and to Yolanda Brooks at Saint Joseph's College for analyzing the samples for SAR-CoV-2.
Gib Parrish and Sharon McDonnell
HOW DOES WASTEWATER TESTING WORK?
Every week we measure the total number of viral copies of SARS-CoV-2 in the Yarmouth wastewater over a 24 hour sampling period. This gives us an average number of viral copies per person.
Because not everyone is infected with Covid, this means that those who are infected are shedding tens of billions of viral particles each day into the wastewater system.
WHAT DOES THIS TELL US?
We know that the Covid test results we are seeing from the Maine CDC are not telling us the full picture. By looking at a variety of sources of data we can get a clearer picture of how much Covid was circulating in Yarmouth during the prior week.
We take:
- data from our wastewater testing in Yarmouth
- data from the CDC on positive case numbers
- data from the Yarmouth school system - both pooled testing, and positive cases reported
- data from the Yarmouth Covid Task Force testing that happens every Monday.
This gives us a much fuller picture. Read below for the full report.
Interested to learn more?
Yarmouth Tests Wastewater to Understand Local Covid-19 Trends