These diseases spread in Palm Beach County during and after Thanksgiving, but COVID did not

More people in Palm Beach County caught the flu and diarrhea-causing viruses during Thanksgiving week, but not COVID-19, the latest sewage tests show.

Concentrations of Influenza A nearly tripled from Nov. 20 to 24, data from the Jupiter-area Loxahatchee River District shows. Testing has also found higher levels of norovirus and Adenovirus Group F, which attack people’s digestive systems.

Coronavirus counts have fallen since mid-November and remain lower than last year.

Previously: Hepatitis A spreading in PBC as experts advise COVID vaccination pre-Thanksgiving

The Stanford University-led WastewaterSCAN initiative tests district sewage. It found about 10.6 Influenza A particles per milligram of sewage Nov. 24, up from about 3.1 per milligram the week before. A reading from Monday found about 9 particles per milligram.

But the flu is spreading slower than 12 months ago, when readings hovered between 14 and 22 particles per milligram.

Influenza A is the only known flu strain that causes pandemics among humans.

The stomach bug norovirus has spiked in sewage since Thanksgiving. WastewaterSCAN found 17,419.5 particles per milligram on Monday, more than double the 8,163 particles per milligram recorded Nov. 24.

Concentrations of another stomach contagion, Adenovirus Group F, more than doubled from 15,280 particles per milligram Nov. 17 to 36,090 particles per milligram Nov. 24, before shrinking to 21,480 particles per milligram on Monday.

Both norovirus and this adenovirus attack the digestive system and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. People catch these pathogens when they stick unwashed hands or contaminated food into their mouths, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

WastewaterSCAN began testing for Adenovirus Group F on Sept. 8 and norovirus on Dec. 14, 2022, so it is not yet possible to compare today’s viral levels to the same time last year.

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COVID-19, meanwhile, remains in a lull.

WastewaterSCAN testing found about 23 coronavirus fragments per milligram on Monday in Loxahatchee River District sewage, slightly less than the 26 particles per milligram on Nov. 24 and a 30-day peak of 59 particles per milligram Nov. 17.

During Thanksgiving week 2022, coronavirus concentrations hovered around 55 particles per milligram.

Chris Persaud is the data reporter for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at cpersaud@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: COVID counts in Palm Beach County, plus flu, other viruses updates