COVID-19 News and Updates
Hello all,
Nina Duggan here with the latest COVID-19 news and updates. This week will be discussing Project ACT’s increased COVID test access, the state of COVID in Maine, and the advent of wastewater testing for detecting COVID-19.
COVID Communication:
Project ACT Offers Another Round of Tests
Maine residents can now order additional free COVID-19 test kits through Project ACT. This makes three total orders per household.
Additionally, as a reminder, households can also order free at home testing kits from the USPS three times. You can order 3 times in a row for an address, if that address hasn’t ordered any before.
Order through the USPS Order Form and the Project ACT website
COVID in the News:
State of COVID-19 in Maine
Case numbers continue to rise throughout the state, seeing an increase of 6% over the past two weeks, with test positivity at around 9%. 161 people are hospitalized across the state, an 11% increase over the past 14 days, with 17 in ICUs. As we see these rising numbers, and as the start of school is just around the corner, experts urge everyone to remain safe and keep maintaining best practices.
Wastewater Testing and COVID-19
One of the best markers we have for determining the amount of COVID-19 present in a community, and even to get a warning on local surges, is through wastewater testing.
Wastewater testing can pick up important epidemiological data that clinical testing can miss. For example, a “sewershed” tested in San Francisco reported that even the case data showed lower peaks in COVID from BA.5 than from Delta or Omicron. However, when looking at wastewater levels, the case-based signal hid a surge every bit as dramatic as January.
What’s more, wastewater doesn’t require the need for people to self-report cases, which has been an issue with the prevalence of at home testing kits. Though these are a very effective measure at determining whether or not someone has COVID, people rarely report their positive cases.
Not only has it proven an invaluable tool in detecting COVID, but in detecting diseases like Polio and the emerging cases of Monkeypox.
For more information on wastewater testing, see this link from the British Medical Association BMJ Journal
Featured in the Field:
LaughterinLight PhD
LaughterinLight PhD is an account run and managed by a PhD scientist specializing in immunology. They run a very informative TikTok account on infectious diseases, with a spotlight on COVID, that is updated regularly. Additionally, their linktree is a very useful library of related articles that runs the gambit from PPE to vaccinations.
You can find them on here on TikTok.
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If you or anyone you know have questions or concerns about COVID-19 or the available vaccines please call or text our COVID-19 Peer Support Line at 207-271-6023, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.