Big uptick in COVID-19 virus in metro wastewater

Data released Friday tracking COVID-19 viral RNA in the wastewater at the metro plant in St. Paul showed a big increase of the virus in the community.

For the week of Nov. 22-28, the viral load in the wastewater was up 24% compared to the week earlier, according to the data from the Metropolitan Council. It says the viral load is now 54% higher than it was two weeks ago.

The average viral load now is now at the highest level since the week of July 5-11, it says.

The vast majority of the COVID-19 virus in the wastewater was BA.5 variant and its subsets.