A 30% decline in coronavirus material in Twin Cities wastewater over the past week offers further hope of a mild spring with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Average viral levels last week were at their lowest since mid-April 2022, according to Friday's report from the Metropolitan Wastewater Treatment Plant in St. Paul.
"These data are encouraging, indicating less virus is circulating in our community. But, as always, we'll have to wait to see if the downward trend is sustained going forward," said Steven Balogh, a principal research scientist at the plant.
Viral levels had been stuck in a moderate, persistent range in the Twin Cities since last November. The latest metro wastewater readings fall below that range, and match with other favorable pandemic indicators released Thursday by the Minnesota Department of Health.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota have nearly cut in half this month — from 401 on March 1 to 205 on Tuesday. Only 16 patients hospitalized on Sunday needed intensive care, the lowest number since the end of Minnesota's first COVID-19 wave in summer 2020.
March has been a transitional point in the pandemic over the past two years. Viral levels bottomed out in March 2021, only to surprisingly surge in April in Minnesota because of an alpha coronavirus variant.
An omicron BA.2 variant caused a similar turnaround in viral levels last April, but severe COVID-19 outcomes such as hospitalizations and deaths did not increase as a result of that wave.
What's next following declines in coronavirus levels this March is unclear, though the federal government is planning to end its COVID-19 public health emergency declaration by May 11.
