REGIONAL- Northeastern Minnesota appears to be the epicenter for the latest surge in COVID activity, with a 224 percent increase in the viral load in wastewater in the region. That spike in the Arrowhead has left Minnesota as the only state in the country where COVID-19 infections are currently on the rise, according to estimates released recently by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
Meanwhile, data from the Minnesota Department of Health does not indicate any significant increases in cases, hospitalizations, or deaths in recent weeks, but those indicators tend to lag behind the growth in viral load in wastewater.
But while the wastewater data is reflective of a regional trend, University of Minnesota epidemiologist Michael Osterholm was largely positive in his assessment of the COVID situation in his regular podcast last week.
“COVID activity remains low and it’s about as low as it’s been all year,” Osterholm said. “We’re still in a good but not great place, and what I mean by that is that I’d like to see everything go lower. National wastewater concentrations are still considered low and decreasing in every region other than the Midwest, which has seen a very slight increase over the past two weeks. Hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and deaths all continue to decrease as the XEC variant rises in prevalence, making up 28 percent of U.S.cases in the past week. So far it doesn’t appear that XEC is going to be responsible for any substantial increase in case numbers.”
However, Osterholm was far less positive in assessing the status of up-to-date vaccinations, with good reason.
“Unfortunately, uptake is very low, why I’m somewhat pessimistic we’re going to see major gains in the number of deaths prevented,” Osterholm said. “As of Oct. 26, only 14.8 percent of U.S. adults reported receiving the 2024-2025 COVID vaccine. Looking at child vaccination rates, only 6.1 percent of kids six months-to-17 years have received the 2024-25 vaccine.”
MDH reporting indicates that vaccine uptake in Minnesota lags behind that of the nation at 13 percent. St. Louis County is at 12.7 percent, a small increase from the recently reported 8.9 percent at the end of October. Those who have not been vaccinated in the past six months are at greater risk of contracting COVID and experiencing adverse outcomes due to waning protection of the vaccine over time.
Those interested in getting a booster should check with their primary health care provider or participating pharmacies for information on availability and possible cost. Many individuals, including those on Medicare, are eligible to have their vaccines covered at no cost.
The federal government continues to provide four free at-home COVID tests for every household. To order tests, go online to https://covidtests.gov, or call 1-800-232-0233.