Let’s get to the bad news first. Looking at the Biobot page, the data for D.C. haven’t been updated for two weeks (the last recorded data point is for September 13). I hope this is a blip, but I fear D.C. might have been affected by the end of a large pot of federal money for wastewater surveillance. So that sucks. BUT WE’RE GIVING YOU THE TOOLZ! SOMETHING SOMETHING

On to the good news. Based on the data from neighboring Alexandria, VA, the concentration of COVID has dropped. Lots!

At 351 copies/mL, we’re still about 3.5 times higher than the mid-June nadir and about 25% of the January 2023 season peak. Hopefully, the modest decline in the last week is just a blip, and the concentration will keep dropping (obviously, we don’t want it to rise). I don’t think there has been enough vaccination yet for vaccination itself prevent spread, but hopefully it will have some effect in the coming weeks.

I’m still wearing a mask in public indoor spaces, because even with vaccination, there’s a non-negligible chance of long-term illness, and the prevalence of COVID, based on the wastewater data is likely high enough that you’ll encounter someone with COVID. Remember, you’re not the weirdo if you’re trying to avoid getting this disease.