COVID-19 cases may be on a decline following uptick

Lauren Takores, The Daily Star, Oneonta, N.Y.
·3 min read

Sep. 26—According to the New York State Wastewater Surveillance Network, the amount of COVID-19 detected in the city of Oneonta's wastewater has continued to decline in the last week.

If that trend continues, residents could expect lower daily COVID-19 cases in the coming weeks.

Samples from the Oneonta Wastewater Treatment Plant taken during the last two weeks show a 37 percent decrease in intensity.

Haley Kappus-Kron, NYS Wastewater Surveillance Network epidemiologist, released a memo Monday, Sept. 25 stating that the long-term trend shows the population served by the Oneonta plant is experiencing a decreasing trend.

The most recent sample, taken Sept. 21, had a level of quantifiable detection suggesting daily case incidence of greater than 50 cases per 100,000 population.

The city of Oneonta is the only sewershed in Otsego County currently participating in genetic sequencing of wastewater.

Wastewater data provides an early warning to communities, forecasts hospitalizations and looks at trends of COVID-19 in the sewershed population, county, region and state, according to the memo.

Government agencies are not the only groups interested in tracking COVID-19 prevalence in the community.

Bassett Healthcare Network's experts are monitoring community COVID-19 cases and trends on a daily basis.

A.O. Fox Hospital reinstituted temporary mandatory masking requirements on Sept. 19, per the COVID-19 guidelines Bassett has in place.

Bassett spokesperson Gabrielle Argo said Tuesday that the facility-wide masking requirement will be lifted at Fox as soon as the number of active COVID-19 cases within the facility falls below the established threshold.

While the masking safety measure is in place, signs will alert building visitors.

Currently, A.O. Fox Hospital is the only hospital within Bassett Healthcare Network with mandatory masking procedures in place.

"Out of an abundance of caution to protect our patients, residents, and employees," Argo said, "Bassett's infection control team and other experts have established guidelines for our facilities to follow around masking."

Currently, the number of COVID-19 cases confirmed among employees at Fox reached the threshold for temporarily requiring masking — 3 percent of employees within a seven-day period.

"Thankfully, we have not seen any severe illness as a result of these cases," Argo said.

Both SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College track COVID-19 cases on their respective campuses.

SUNY Oneonta spokesperson Lisa Miller said Tuesday that while there have been a total of 123 positive student cases this semester, "we are seeing a decline."

The campus COVID-19 policy includes isolation directions for both students and staff.

"We plan to continue to actively monitor COVID cases and follow CDC guidelines, so that we can keep our students, staff and surrounding community healthy," Miller said.

Testing through rapid antigen and rapid PCR is available at the SUNY Oneonta campus, according to the school's website.

If students test positive for COVID-19, they are required to isolate in their dorm room or residence if living off-campus for five days, and wear a mask when indoors for an additional five days after the isolation period.

Hartwick spokesperson Gail Glover said Tuesday that the school is "not seeing a substantial increase in the number of cases reported to us."

"In fact, according to our Perella Wellness Center health care professionals, cases are tapering off," she said.

As of Tuesday, there were no active student cases and three active faculty and staff cases.

According to Hartwick's COVID-19 protocols, students, faculty and staff who test positive must isolate for five days before returning to campus. After returning to campus, individuals must also wear a mask for an additional five days.

"We continue to encourage our campus community to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 and other viral illnesses by getting vaccinated and boosted, wearing a mask in indoor public settings if they feel more comfortable doing so, and practicing good hygiene," Glover said.