COVID cases rising nationally but Missouri levels hard to pinpoint

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Missouri may have one of the highest levels of the COVID-19 virus, according to federal officials.

Missouri is one of the top handful of states for the amount of coronavirus in wastewater based on sampling from just one site in Jefferson County, south of St. Louis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now monitors for the virus in wastewater because it's more accurate than reporting case numbers and not all COVID-19 patients seek medical attention.

The numbers are based on monitoring of the week that ended Dec. 7.

However, Jefferson County is the only site statewide that monitors for the virus and reports its data to the CDC.

Sami Jo Freeman, of the Missouri Bureau of Environmental Epidemiology, told ABC 17 News in an email that wastewater surveillance testing is currently experiencing a temporary pause. However, the Jefferson County location reports directly to the CDC independent of the Missouri wastewater program and was unaffected by the pause. 

Boone County has also experienced an uptick in cases since Thanksgiving.

COVID-19 positives across the country are up 0.9% as of Dec 7. In Boone County, positive cases have seen a 56% increase, with 50 positive tests the week ending Dec. 7, according to the Columbia/Boone County Health Department.

Dr. Christopher Sampson, with MU Health Care, said he has seen an influx of patients with respiratory illnesses compared to the summer months.

"People come in with upper respiratory complaints, so that could be fever, congestion, runny nose, cough, sometimes body aches, just generally not feeling well," Sampson said.

The flu appears to be dropping locally after a spike last month.

The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reported 425 cases of influenza statewide for the week ending Dec. 7. Boone County saw a jump in flu positives right before Thanksgiving with 34 reported cases, but that number dropped to 15 in the week that ended Nov. 30, according to BCHD data.

Sampson said prevention is key to staying healthy throughout the holiday season.

"Anytime you're encountering other people, wash your hands, and then if you are concerned that either you're ill or you're around sick people wearing a mask is still helpful in preventing the spread of illness," Sampson said.