From mid-February to last week, virus levels were tested at relatively stable levels. However, new data released this week showed that the seven-day average has begun to rise again in the Northern System, an area that includes the city of Boston and its northern neighbors. Massachusetts Water Authority The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority tracking system, operated by Cambridge-based Biobot, works by analyzing pieces of genetic material in the Boston area sewer to indicate how much of the virus is circulating in the community. As of Wednesday, the average seven-day levels of COVID were averaging just under 180 copies of COVID RNA per milliliter, slightly higher than an average close to the 120 we have seen in recent weeks. It is important to note that this number is still very low compared to where we were during the increase, where levels were on average just under 9,000 in the Northern System and over 11,000 in the neighboring Southern System. Top Boston doctors have spoken out about COVID cases in Massachusetts, whether the masks will return to school, and reports of tinnitus after vaccination on NBC10’s weekly “COVID Q&A” series. COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations remain relatively low in Massachusetts. 1,086 new COVID cases were reported on Thursday, and the state’s seven-day average remains just under 2%. For the frame, the most recent peak reached just over 23% on January 5th. Massachusetts doctors are urging the public to prepare for a possible collision or rise in cases that will arise from the BA.2 or “stealth omicron” sub-variant this spring. The sub-variable is considered to be the possible cause of the increase in cases abroad, including China and Europe. It remains unclear whether BA.2 variant is associated with severe COVID cases or if it is more resistant to vaccines. The World Health Organization says it is “more contagious” and that an increase in cases is expected, but no “major resurgence” is expected. Proponents of COVID screening have argued that it helps to give a fuller sense of the spread of the virus in a community of state data, which does not include rapid home trials or people with COVID who do not get tested at all. An early warning of trends may also sound before people start showing symptoms of the virus. Boston data is collected by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant and analyzed by Cambridge-based Biobot Analytics three to seven times a week. Forty-three communities in eastern Massachusetts treat their water at the plant, including Boston, Cambridge, Framingham and Quincy. Data cannot be linked to specific cities, towns or neighborhoods.
