According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention wastewater testing, California, Nevada, Hawaii, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi all have low levels of COVID activity, compared to the very low levels in most other states.<\/p>\n
But two states are exceptions: Missouri and Alaska are reporting moderate levels of COVID.<\/p>\n
COVID testing and case reporting aren\u2019t as prevalent anymore due to funding changes and fewer people taking at-home coronavirus tests, so exactly how much COVID is out there is harder to track now. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think wastewater testing has become a convenient way to track the trends in a community or in a state because there\u2019s no special lab test required for that,\u201d Kline added.<\/p>\n
Overall, COVID<\/a> cases throughout the country are still low, and this is also true of other respiratory viruses such as the flu and RSV, noted Dr. George Rutherford<\/a>, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California, San Francisco. <\/p>\n Yet even as cases are low in most places, a summer increase isn\u2019t surprising, said Dr. Neil Maniar<\/a>, a professor of public health at Northeastern University in Boston.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you look back over the last few years … the lowest rates across the country are usually late June, early July, and then in August you start to see this increase in rates,\u201d Klein said.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd last year there was actually a peak in late August, going into mid-September. And we don\u2019t know for sure if that\u2019s going to be replicated this year, but it is a possibility,\u201d said Kline. Beyond summer, COVID then tends to peak in the winter around late December, early January, she added.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we\u2019re now at a point with COVID where it\u2019s fallen into a somewhat predictable pattern,\u201d said Maniar. \u201cThere are these seasonal ebbs and flows of COVID cases, and what we\u2019re seeing right now is a reflection of probably a couple different factors.\u201d<\/p>\n For example, fewer people are getting the COVID vaccine, in general, which means more people are susceptible to getting sick, Maniar said. Just 17.5% of American adults and 8.9% of children received the 2025-2026 COVID vaccine, according to CDC data<\/a>.<\/p>\n More, summer travel is associated with more cases and a higher chance of getting sick, Maniar said. <\/p>\n Think about it: People congregate in crowded airports, planes and trains to get to crowded attractions.<\/p>\n Plamen Zahariev via Getty Images<\/p>\n While COVID-19 levels are low throughout most of the U.S., cases are starting to rise in certain states.<\/p>\n Hand-washing, masking and staying home when you\u2019re sick are all good ways to protect yourself and others from COVID.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s anything to be particularly concerned about in terms of are we going to see another massive surge, but I think it is important for folks to recognize that, as has been the case from the very beginning of this pandemic, there are some very effective ways that we have to keep ourselves safe [and] to keep others around us safe,\u201d said Maniar.<\/p>\n Klein said it\u2019s a good idea to stay away from people who are coughing and sneezing. If you do have to be near people who appear to be ill, such as on a plane or train, wear a mask.<\/p>\n \u201cWash your hands frequently,\u201d Klein added.<\/p>\n \u201cThe other thing I would recommend is if you\u2019re ill with symptoms of respiratory tract infection [coughing, sneezing, sore throat], it\u2019s best to stay home so you don\u2019t spread it to other people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n If you do have symptoms, take a COVID test, she added. Current at-home tests can detect the COVID variants circulating now.<\/p>\n If you test positive and are in certain high-risk groups, you may be eligible for Paxlovid, which can reduce your risk of long COVID and help you get better faster. \u201cIt\u2019s better to start that early on in the illness, like right after you start feeling sick and you test positive for COVID,\u201d Klein said.<\/p>\n Vaccination offers the best protection.<\/strong><\/p>\n The best way to protect yourself from COVID is by getting the COVID vaccine.<\/p>\n![\"While](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/6a68c74a1b0000685993985f.jpeg\")
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