Wastewater COVID-19 levels ‘very high’ in Arkansas – 4029tv

Wastewater COVID-19 levels 'very high' in Arkansas

The CDC says the state is at the viral activity level is very high

Updated: 11:33 PM CDT Jul 18, 2024

JACOB MURPHY SPOKE WITH A LOCAL DOCTOR TO FIND OUT WHAT THIS EXACTLY MEANS. ((JACOB ON CAM)) THE WASTEWATER STUDY IS A WAY TO LOOK AT COVID LEVELS IN AN AREA WITHOUT PEOPLE ACTUALLY GETTING TESTED. THE DOCTOR I SPOKE WITH SAYS THIS IS NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR, BASED ON THE COVID PEAKS WE'VE SEEN EVERY SUMMER FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. ((TAKE PKG)) JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "I think this is a pattern we're going to see play out probably indefinitely, unless something happens to change about the nature of how COVID spreads." THE C-D-C HAS RELEASED DATA SHOWING THE CURRENT VIRAL ACTIVITIES OF COVID IN WASTEWATER ACROSS AMERICA. JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "They can track essentially, over an area, how many COVID particles are in wastewater." WHICH SHOWS WHAT STATES ARE SEEING HIGH LEVELS.. JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "it gives public health officials an idea of the volume of COVID cases" LET'S ZOOM IN ARKANSAS.. THE STUDY SAYS THAT VIRAL ACTIVITY LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE STATE IS VERY HIGH.. JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "In the state of Arkansas, there's a peak, roughly summertime and a peak roughly wintertime." WHICH IS SIMILAR TO WHAT THE NATURAL STATE SAW IN 2023 AND 2022. JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "I don't know if that's the case across every state in the United States. But in Arkansas, for sure." N-W-A PHYSICIAN JOEL FANKHOUSER SAYS HE HASN'T SEEN A HUGE INCREASE IN CASES LOCALLY. JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "The personal health measures that have been introduced over the last several years have been so effective." BUT THAT THE TWO PEAKS, IN THE SUMMER AND WINTER TIME COULD BECOME THE NORM. JOEL FANKHAUSER // DIRECT CARE CLINIC NWA PHYSICIAN "I would expect that we're always going to have these two peaks per year, just because it's happened that way, for the last three years, basically, that we're going to see something roughly now." ((JACOB ON CAM)) I TALKED WITH A COUPLE PEOPLE EARLIER TODAY AT A PARK IN N-W-A AND SOME SAY THEY'RE STILL SEEING PEOPLE GETTING COVID AND ARE WORRIED, WHILE OTHERS AREN'T WORRIED AND HAVEN'T THOUGHT ABOUT COVID AT ALL RECENTLY. THE DOCTOR WE SPOKE WITH SAYS THESE WASTEWATER NUMBERS SHOULDN'T CAUSE CONCERN, BUT YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE AS COVID CONTINUES TO CHANG

Wastewater COVID-19 levels 'very high' in Arkansas

The CDC says the state is at the viral activity level is very high

Updated: 11:33 PM CDT Jul 18, 2024

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current viral activity levels of COVID-19 in wastewater throughout Arkansas are considered "very high."It gives public health officials an idea of the volume of COVID cases," NWA physician Joel Fankhauser said. Fankhauser says the rise in activity is common for this time of year in Arkansas. In the state of Arkansas, there's a peak, roughly summertime and a peak roughly wintertime," Fankhauser said. Fankhauser says this data should not cause major concern, but that we could never know as COVID-19 continues to change and develop. I think this is a pattern we're going to see play out probably indefinitely," Fankhauser said. "Unless something happens to change about the nature of how COVID spreads.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the current viral activity levels of COVID-19 in wastewater throughout Arkansas are considered "very high."

It gives public health officials an idea of the volume of COVID cases," NWA physician Joel Fankhauser said.

Fankhauser says the rise in activity is common for this time of year in Arkansas.

In the state of Arkansas, there's a peak, roughly summertime and a peak roughly wintertime," Fankhauser said.

Fankhauser says this data should not cause major concern, but that we could never know as COVID-19 continues to change and develop.

I think this is a pattern we're going to see play out probably indefinitely," Fankhauser said. "Unless something happens to change about the nature of how COVID spreads.

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Wastewater COVID-19 levels 'very high' in Arkansas - 4029tv