Boston COVID wastewater data drops, Massachusetts virus cases down 21%

Boston Herald - 5/18/2023

COVID wastewater data in Boston continues to take a plunge, as state health officials on Thursday also reported a drop in virus cases.

Data from the Boston Public Health Commission’s wastewater surveillance program shows that the number of COVID particles in the city’s wastewater decreased 22% over the past week. The wastewater data helps predict virus waves and lulls in the community.

Meanwhile, the average number of new COVID cases in the city has gone down 25% during the last week.

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 774 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 111 COVID cases from the last week was a 21% drop from the daily rate of 140 virus infections during the previous week.

The Bay State’s positive test average increased last week. The seven-day positive test rate is now 2.95%, up from 2.59% last week.

The state Department of Public Health on Thursday also reported that 169 total patients are hospitalized with COVID, which is down five patients from this time last week. Tufts Medical Center recently reported that it wasn’t treating any COVID patients for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

The state reported six new COVID deaths over the past week, bringing the state’s total to 24,651 recorded deaths since the start of the pandemic. The daily average of deaths is now one.

State health officials recently updated how COVID deaths are counted, limiting COVID-associated deaths to those with COVID listed on the death certificate.

More than 2 million people in the state have received a booster dose since the bivalent vaccine was offered last September.