ALBANY — The drop in COVID-19 cases is showing up on wastewater screenings, with virus intensity dropping between 10 and 13 percent over two weeks in most Capital Region counties, according to the most recent data from the state’s wastewater surveillance program.
In Albany County, the COVID-19 intensity level plunged by 25 percent in 14 days, County Executive Dan McCoy noted in his biweekly update Friday.
“While this virus is clearly still a threat – especially for those with weakened immune systems and underlying health conditions – our metrics continue to move in the right direction,” McCoy said. The state’s wastewater surveillance system can be an early indicator of the virus’ trajectory, but the data quality is dependent on the frequency of sampling and the size of the sewage processing plant where water is tested, according to public health experts.