After a lull, COVID-19 cases have crept back up in Nebraska, as they have in the U.S. as a whole.
Concentrations of the coronavirus in wastewater in Nebraska have increased over the past month with a larger jump during the last week in July, according to data obtained by request from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. That put statewide numbers at their highest level since late February.
Concentrations of the virus in wastewater were up at both of Omaha’s treatment plants, with the sharpest increase in samples collected at the Missouri River Wastewater Treatment Plant. Grand Island also showed a sharp increase.
“There’s definitely a bit of a bump in our numbers,†said Lindsay Huse, director of the Douglas County Health Department.
The increases, while still nowhere near the winter spikes of past years, appear to echo what’s happening in other parts of the country. They also continue the trend of summer infection waves. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viral activity in wastewater nationwide was very high on Friday. The West and South, particularly Texas and its neighbors, have led the way in new cases.
Case counts in Douglas County for the week ending Aug. 1 were up about 20% from the week before, Huse said. However, such figures are generally considered an undercount because many people aren’t testing and most of those who do are using at-home tests that aren’t generally reported to local health departments.
A total of 175 positive tests were reported for the week, up from 145 the week before. The seven-day total number of cases per 100,000 residents was 29.9, up from 25 the week before. But the rate of positive results also was up — 18.9% for the week vs. 18.2% the week before.
For the week ending Aug. 3, Lancaster County had 73 confirmed cases, down from 104 the week ending July 27, which was the highest weekly total since the week ending Feb. 17.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the Omaha area also had ticked up, standing at 25 on Tuesday. That number, however, is a far cry from January’s peak of 110 or the pandemic peak of 452 in January 2021. Huse said she closely monitors effects on hospitals because of the importance of protecting their capacity.
“Some people are reporting they feel crummier than with some of the previous strains,†Huse said. “But we’re not seeing a run on the hospital.â€
She noted that new variants of the virus continue to present themselves. That provides potential for an increase in cases. And even those who received the latest vaccine last fall are nearly a year out from those shots. The protection the vaccines provide wanes over time.
New COVID vaccines are coming
New vaccines geared toward variants circulating now are due out sometime this fall. Dr. James Lawler, associate director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Global Center for Health Security, said he is hoping to see a rollout in early September.
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Studies indicate the vaccine reduces complications from the virus, regardless of whether people have been infected or vaccinated before.
“All Americans, including kids, should get it when it comes out,†he said.
Whether individuals should get the vaccine now available, however, is a discussion they should have with their physician, Lawler said. Individual circumstances may warrant it.
Individuals should get tested if they develop symptoms, such as runny nose, sore throat, fever and cough, he said. Ideally, they would get a PCR test.
For those using at-home antigen tests, one negative test isn’t enough to rule out infection. The Food and Drug Administration recommends two negative antigen tests for individuals with symptoms or three antigen tests for those without symptoms, performed 48 hours apart.
Those who test positive should contact a health care provider to get treatment with the antiviral Paxlovid, Lawler said. The key is to get it right away rather than wait for symptoms to worsen. The medication is recommended within five days of symptom onset.
Younger, healthier people should seek treatment too, not just those over 65, he said. Studies show that infections even in 2024 dramatically increase a person’s risk of developing long-term health problems, from diabetes to cognitive impacts. Long COVID also continues to be a risk.
“People of all ages and vaccination status benefit from treatment,†he said.
Huse noted that the CDC has changed its recommendations regarding isolation and quarantine for those who contract the virus.
The agency previously recommended a minimum isolation period of five days. The updated recommendations, like those for other respiratory viruses, recommend that people stay home and away from others for at least 24 hours after their symptoms have improved overall and they do not have a fever that hasn’t been reduced with medications.
After that initial stay-home period, however, the agency also encourages people take additional precautions for the next five days, including taking added steps to clean air; wearing a well-fitting mask; stepping up hygiene practices; and keeping a distance from others.