KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The most recent coronavirus wastewater testing results in Jackson County show a “significant increase” in coronavirus load at one testing location.
Jackson County Executive Frank White tweeted the most recent data Friday morning, which showed the increase at the Atherton, Missouri plant in eastern Jackson County.
We just received our most recent #COVID19 sewershed report which states:
— Frank White (@JCEFrankWhite) June 25, 2021
"The Department of Health and Senior Services indicated that they found a significant increase in coronavirus load in the sample collected at our Atherton plant this week." (1/2)
The data is part of the Missouri Department of Heath and Senior Services Sewershed Surveillance Project, which detects levels of coronavirus in samples from public wastewater treatment facilities.
The new data, which is slated to be updated by state health officials later on Friday, paint a picture of rising coronavirus cases in the future.
White said the type of increase indicated by the testing is usually followed within a week by a 25% increase in positive cases among the population.
The potential increase in Jackson County comes at the same time more rural portions of the state battle COVID-19 spikes of their own, most attributable to the Delta variant of the virus.
The Springfield-Green County Health Department in southwest Missouri reported Friday it has the largest number of critical care and intensive are unit patients since the pandemic began.
