Yarmouth Covid Wastewater Testing Results - Aug 30, 2022
August 30, 2022
Yarmouth's wastewater testing program for SARS-CoV-2 is currently collecting and testing two 24 hour wastewater samples each week: the first is collected from 7 am Monday to 7 am Tuesday, and the second from 7am Wednesday to 7 am Thursday. Samples are sent to Biobot Analytics in Cambridge, Massachusetts for testing. The program is currently funded by the U.S. CDC.
The results of wastewater testing for Yarmouth and other locations in Maine are posted on the Maine CDC website.
An overview of COVID-19 wastewater monitoring in the United States with graphs of testing data for the U.S. and selected U.S. counties, including 14 counties in Maine, is available from Biobot.
We would like to thank Chris Cline and Yarmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility staff for collecting and submitting the wastewater samples twice a week and Steve Johnson, Yarmouth's Town Engineer, for overseeing the wastewater testing program.
Yarmouth SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Wastewater Testing Results — August 30, 2022
The adjusted virus levels were 1,468 and 841 copies/mL in the two most recent wastewater samples (August 24–25 and August 29–30).
Viral levels during August fluctuated between 652 and 1,887 copies/mL, but the overall trend was relatively “flat” (Figure 1, Table 1). August levels were similar to those during June and July, with an average of 1,096 copies/mL, as compared to averages of 947 copies/mL during June and 1,027 copies/mL during July.
Yarmouth’s August viral levels were similar those measured in Portland’s and Brunswick’s August wastewater samples. The trends during August for all three locations were relatively flat.
Weekly cases of COVID-19 for Yarmouth—as reported by Maine CDC—ranged from 4 to 18 for June through August 2022, with 9 cases reported for the most recent week, August 20–28. These case counts are likely to be much lower than the actual number of cases due to reduced testing and increased self-testing (home testing), which is not reported to Maine CDC.
In light of the relatively stable levels of SARS-CoV-2 in Yarmouth's wastewater during August, we are keeping the COVID-O-Meter at the Moderate level.
We recommend that the Yarmouth Community continue to exercise caution:
Get vaccinated and boosted. Bivalent boosters with the original vaccine component and a new component based on the most common variants currently circulating (i.e., BA.4 and BA.5) will likely be available in mid-September from Moderna and Pfizer.
Consider wearing a mask in indoor public places particularly if you are unvaccinated, 60 years of age or older, or immune compromised.
Avoid crowded indoor spaces.
When indoors, good ventilation (air exchange) is important.
Test with a rapid antigen test when gathering with friends and family who have been out and about, or if you will be spending time with people at higher risk.
If you have COVID, leave isolation only after you have a negative rapid antigen test.
Persons who are immune compromised due to medical conditions or medical treatments should take particular care, as should those around them.
Learn more
Learn more about why we do wastewater testing and how it has recently changed at our Wastewater Testing page.