started falling"
Twin Cities wastewater data suggests omicron peak may be past
David H. Montgomery and Tim Nelson, January 18, 2022 5:12 p.m.
https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/01/18/wastewater-data-suggests-omicron-peak-may-be-past
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The article talks about how the reporting of cases by the Minnesota Dept of Health has become more erratic and more delayed, now the lag between testing and being reported by MDH is averaging 5 days. Due to high volumes of testing and a lot of lab workers being out sick.
Whereas metro area wastewater sample results (done daily but released weekly) doesn't have this problem. And tends to lead case results by about 5-7 days.
If accurate, the wastewater data would show the omicron surge peaked in the metro area about three weeks after it started rising. That matches up with what’s been seen in other places who faced omicron surges before Minnesota did.
A peak in the metro area’s COVID-19 outbreak would also not necessarily mean the rest of the state is out of the woods. The Twin Cities area saw cases spike in late December, about two weeks before most of greater Minnesota. That could mean greater Minnesota will see its peak about two weeks after the Twin Cities does, or somewhere around Jan. 24.
The Met Council’s wastewater data is available online here
https://metrotransitmn.shinyapps.io/metc-wastewater-covid-monitor/
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