Yarmouth Covid Wastewater Testing Results - Oct 6, 2022
Oct 6, 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 — October 6, 2022
The adjusted virus levels were 1,186 and 1,906 copies/mL in the two most recent wastewater samples (October 3–4 and October 5–6).
Viral levels during September and the first week of October fluctuated between 578 and 2,063 copies/mL, and the overall trend was slightly upward (Figure 1, Table 1). September levels averaged 1,240 copies/mL, as compared to monthly averages of 1,027 copies/mL during July and 1,096 copies/mL during August.
Yarmouth’s September viral levels were similar those measured in Portland’s and Brunswick’s August wastewater samples. Like Yarmouth, the trends during September for Portland and Brunswick were slightly upward.
As of the first week in October, the highest state wastewater SARS-CoV-2 virus levels are in northern New England (ME, NH, VT) and New Mexico.
Weekly cases of COVID-19 for Yarmouth—as reported by Maine CDC—ranged from 3 to 12 for July through September 2022, with 6 cases reported for September 26–October 2 and 9 cases for October 3–9. These case counts are likely to be 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 levels of SARS-CoV-2 in Yarmouth's wastewater during September and early October, 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) are available 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.