A fast-spreading coronavirus subvariant appears to be pushing COVID-19 levels up in Minnesota — as it already has in warm-weather states this summer — but not hospitalizations and deaths so far.
Six of seven regions of Minnesota saw the viral load in wastewater increase Sunday — with the southwest and south-central regions reporting their highest levels on record, according to the University of Minnesota.
The growth is the work of the BA.5 subvariant, which was responsible for 71% of infections in the first two weeks of July, according to genomic sequencing of a sampling of positive COVID-19 specimens in Minnesota.
"Like other places in the country and world, we are seeing rapid emergence of this variant of concern," said Mark Osborn, the U microbiologist overseeing the statewide wastewater monitoring.
BA.5 has shown high breakthrough rates of infections in people with immunity from vaccinations or recent COVID-19 cases. More than 54% of infections identified in the final week of June in Minnesota involved people who had received initial vaccinations and boosters, according to the state Department of Health's weekly COVID-19 situation report, updated each Thursday.
Health officials remain optimistic that immunity provides some benefit by lowering the level of severe illness. Minnesota seniors who were not fully vaccinated were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 in the past two months and seven times more likely to die of the infectious disease than seniors who had received the initial shots and booster doses, the health department reported.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Minnesota have held steady for more than two months, reaching 406 on Tuesday and including 46 patients needing intensive care. The state reported another 35 COVID-19 deaths over the past week, maintaining its average of five per day — mostly in seniors.
Minnesota's total COVID-19 death toll stands at12,907.