COVID levels in wastewater are rising in Charlotte and Raleigh. Is a surge coming in NC?

Evan Moore
·2 min read

COVID-19 virus levels are spiking at wastewater treatment plants in Charlotte and Raleigh, which could be a sign that a surge in cases is imminent.

Of the seven combined treatment plants in Charlotte and Raleigh, five saw significant spikes in virus particle levels within the last few weeks, NCDHHS data show.

▪ At a plant in Charlotte, an average of 22 million viral gene copies per person were recorded on Nov. 7, according to the most recent data available from NCDHHS. By Jan. 9, that number climbed to 158.3 million.

▪ The number of viral gene copies per person at a plant in Raleigh sat at 30.5 million on Nov. 19, before spiking to 95.5 million on Jan. 10, data show.

How can wastewater help detect COVID spread?

Wastewater can be an important tool for scientists who study SARS-CoV-2, according to the CDC. Here’s how:

  • Wastewater data showing the percent change in virus levels can be used with other data, like the overall levels of the virus in the water and historical wastewater for a particular location. Levels of the virus in wastewater could be an indicator of how well prevention strategies are working.

  • Small changes in the level of virus in wastewater can be an early signal that the number of people with COVID-19 in a community is rising or falling.

  • State and local health officials can use wastewater data to predict trends in COVID-19 transmission and respond accordingly.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Mecklenburg, Wake counties

As COVID-19 wastewater levels rise in some parts of the state, so have the number of hospitalizations related to the virus.

From Jan. 7-13, there were 116 COVID hospitalizations reported in Mecklenburg County, a 19.6% increase from the previous week, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 80 hospitalizations were reported in Wake County during the same week, an 18.8% increase from the previous week, data show.

Wastewater data usually corresponds with the number of cases reported in a particular area, and people should be cautious despite the low number of hospitalizations compared to previous months, Virginia Guidry, the branch head for occupational and environmental epidemiology at NCDHHS, previously told The Charlotte Observer.

“We’re pretty confident in our wastewater data as a way to measure what’s going on in the community,” Guidry said. “And it captures both symptomatic and asymptomatic folks, regardless of whether they get tested, and that is one the real advantages of wastewater monitoring.”