As Minnesotans gear up for holiday celebrations, a less welcome guest is making its presence known: COVID-19 and its new variant JN.1 are causing a stir. According to the KARE 11 report, levels of the virus detected in wastewater from St. Cloud and Fergus Falls have spiked by a staggering 120%, signaling a potential surge in infections.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now estimates that JN.1 is behind roughly 20% of new infections nationwide. Meanwhile, health experts are concerned as fewer people are undergoing COVID testing, possibly clouding the overall case numbers. "But it's truly been in the past few weeks that we've seen it take off in the U.S.," told Hennepin Healthcare's Dr. Hannah Lichstinn in a statement obtained by KARE 11.
Wastewater surveillance considered a more effective method by health authorities for gauging virus spread, has evidenced this increase. "What the wastewater data can tell us is a better sense of what's actually going on in the community," Dr. Lichstinn explained to KARE 11. The University of Minnesota's wastewater dashboard, tracking 38 treatment facilities, shows a sharp rise in COVID-19 presence across the state.
This uptick may precede a wave of sick patients, experts warn. "We tend to see that spike before we start to see the sick patients, so it really gives us a glimpse of what's about to come," Dr. Lichstinn pointed out in a Valley News Live interview. JN.1's symptoms reportedly mirror those of earlier strains and vaccines are believed to be effective against it.
Despite the availability of a new COVID vaccine this fall, only 18% of people have rolled up their sleeves for the jab, contributing to the rise in cases alongside holiday travel, per CDC figures.
