According to the CDC Louisiana has twice the national average of COVID. LSU-Health New Orleans Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Fred Lopez said an uptick in cases has been found via wastewater detection.
“Just look for the presence of the virus in wastewater and as the levels go up, it typically reflects the fact that the virus is more prevalent in a particular community and that’s certainly the case here in Louisiana with COVID,” said Lopez.
Lopez said there’s a surge in COVID cases nationwide, including emergency room admissions and wastewater detection in other states.
“Even though we tend to think about viral illnesses as just occurring in the winter, COVID defies a bit of that theory in the sense that we can see surges in the summer particularly when it’s been so hot,” said Lopez.
And while more people are either naturally immunized having contracted COVID in the past or being vaccinated, Lopez points out that individuals with co-morbidities or who are more vulnerable to the virus should still take precautions.