(NEXSTAR) — The U.S. is experiencing a late-summer surge in COVID-19 cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The spike is most severe in a region covering Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, where about 15% of COVID tests reported to the CDC are coming back positive.
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However, states west of the Mississippi River aren’t far behind, with 12 additional states reporting test positivity rates near 10% last week.
Health experts warn that actual case numbers are likely underreported since many people use at-home testing kits instead of lab-based tests.
To track virus spread more accurately, officials rely on wastewater testing, which the CDC says can detect infections earlier—even in people without symptoms.
According to wastewater data, five states currently show “very high” COVID activity levels:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Nevada
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Texas
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Utah
Still, experts caution that even this data isn’t complete, as some states lack testing sites or don’t regularly report results to the CDC.
Epidemiologists say the seasonal spike isn’t surprising. Each summer since the pandemic began, cases have risen, likely due to increased travel and more time spent indoors in air-conditioned, poorly ventilated spaces where the virus spreads easily.
Immunity from last fall’s booster shots may also be waning, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, an epidemiologist at Washington University in St. Louis, told The New York Times.
Meanwhile, the FDA has approved updated Pfizer, Moderna, and Novavax vaccines for seniors but limited access for younger adults and children without high-risk health conditions.
A CDC panel is set to meet in September to decide vaccine availability and insurance coverage for the fall and winter seasons.
