Will there be a summer COVID wave? Here’s what the CDC data shows

(NEXSTAR) – Warning signs that could indicate an increase in COVID infections are emerging in parts of the U.S.

Wastewater testing, which can help detect the spread of a COVID virus in a community, has shown significant increases in the virus in several states. Testing sites in Montana and Florida are reporting “very high” levels of COVID, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Levels in wastewater in Alaska, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland and New Mexico are “high.”

Emergency room visits related to COVID-19 are also increasing, the CDC says, with a spike of 12.6% in one week. The biggest jumps last week were seen in Delaware, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia.

However, even with the recent increases, hospitalizations for COVID-19 remain very low nationwide. Only 0.6% of all emergency room visits were diagnosed as COVID cases last week.

The CDC also reports a 1% increase in positive tests, but the increase in at-home COVID testing means positive cases often go unreported.

The increase in the number of cases may be caused by the new dominant subvariants, such as FLiRT and KP.3. While COVID vaccines are still very effective against these strains, it may take a while to get a booster, making you more susceptible.

“If everyone gets vaccinated in November and December and then everyone gets sick in December and January, the population becomes susceptible around the same time in the summer,” said Ilan Rubin, a research fellow at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. , told TIME.

The travel and socializing that comes with summer can also increase your exposure.