Yarmouth Covid Wastewater Testing Results - Dec 15, 2023
Dec 15, 2023
Summary
Since the last report on November 1, wastewater SARS-CoV-2 viral levels have steadily increased and are now 3 times higher than levels were during June and July, when they averaged 278 copies/mL. This is consistent with past years, as during the fall people spend more time inside where viral transmission is more likely.
The current sustained increase follows several higher levels during October and supports a change in the COVID-O-Meter to the MODERATE level.
The most recent level of 1,869 copies/mL on December 13—if sustained by the December 20 test result—would warrant an increase of the COVID-O-Meter to the HIGH level, as levels approaching 2,000 copies/mL would match those seen during the peaks in May and October 2022 and February 2023.
SARS-CoV-2 viral levels have also increased significantly in the past 6 weeks in Brunswick and Portland wastewater and are approaching levels seen in those two locations during late January and February 2023.
COVID-19 related weekly hospitalizations in Maine increased from an average of 51 during October 2023 to 74 during November 2023 and were highest among people 70 years of age and older. These numbers of weekly hospitalizations are still much lower than the 170 seen during February 2023.
Yarmouth SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Wastewater Testing Results — Dec 15, 2023
From May 2022 to mid-September 2023 Yarmouth wastewater samples were collected twice weekly and tested at Biobot Analytics in Massachusetts. Since mid-September 2023 testing has occurred once a week while federal testing contracts are on hold pending a contract dispute. Biobot has continued to provide this weekly testing for free in the interim.
Viral levels during November and the first two weeks of December fluctuated between 677 and 1,869 copies/mL. The overall trend during this period showed a steady increase (Figure, Table).
The average wastewater viral level from November 1–December 15 was 947 copies/mL, which was higher than the average monthly viral levels for July through September 2023; these levels were 365, 571, and 560 copies/mL, respectively. October’s average level was 1,177 copies/mL.
Yarmouth’s November 1–December 15 trend of increasing wastewater viral levels was similar to the trends seen in Portland’s and Brunswick’s wastewater viral levels.
COVID-19 Weekly Hospitalizations
COVID-19 related weekly hospitalizations in Maine increased from an average of 51 during October 2023 to 74 during November 2023 and were highest among people 70 years of age and older. These numbers of weekly hospitalizations are still much lower than the 160 to 180 seen during February 2023.
COVID-19 related hospitalization rates and deaths are much higher among people 70 years of age and older than any other age group (5 to 10 times higher).
We recommend that the Yarmouth Community continue to exercise caution:
Get vaccinated and boosted. An updated monovalent booster based on the recently circulating variant (XBB.1.5) is now available in Maine. Appointments for vaccination with the updated booster are available at pharmacies in Yarmouth.
With the public health emergency lifted and low COVID-19 case counts and deaths, it is left to individuals to decide what exposures and risks are acceptable. In some situations, individuals may want the lowest risk, while others may feel socialization is their highest priority. Note: persons who are immune compromised due to medical conditions or medical treatments should take particular care, as should those around them. To be cautious, when gathering with people at higher risk, test with a rapid antigen test.
At a minimum, any time you have symptoms, isolate yourself from people and use a rapid antigen test for 2 days in a row to determine if you have COVID.
If you test positive for COVID or believe you have a COVID infection, discuss the value of therapeutics with your doctor. These medications can shorten the course and severity of the illness and likely reduce transmission to others. In addition, tell the people you have been in contact with for 2 days prior to your positive test that they may have been exposed.
If you have COVID, leave isolation only after you have a negative rapid antigen test.
If you want the lowest risk of transmission,
Avoid crowded indoor spaces;
Consider wearing a mask in indoor public places, particularly if you are unvaccinated, 60 years of age or older, or immunocompromised; and
When indoors, ensure that there is good ventilation (air exchange).
Learn more about why we do wastewater testing and how it has recently changed at our Wastewater Testing page.
The Yarmouth Wastewater Testing Team will continue to evaluate the testing results from the twice weekly samples. If there are significant changes, we will notify community members via the Town website, the YCCTF website (Be Well Yarmouth), and the YCCTF and Yarmouth Community Network Facebook sites.
Yarmouth's wastewater testing program for SARS-CoV-2 is currently collecting and testing one 24-hour composite wastewater sample each week. Samples are collected from 7 am Tuesday to 7 am Wednesday. Samples are sent to Biobot Analytics in Cambridge, Massachusetts for free testing.
The results of wastewater testing for Yarmouth and other locations in Maine are posted on the Maine CDC website: https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/airborne/coronavirus/wastewater-reports.shtml. An overview of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring in the United States with graphs of testing data for the U.S. and selected U.S. counties, including 14 counties in Maine, is available from Biobot: https://biobot.io/data/#county-25025.
We would like to thank Chris Cline and Yarmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility staff for collecting the wastewater samples twice a week and Steve Johnson, Yarmouth's Town Engineer, for overseeing the wastewater testing program.