It’s no secret the United States abandoned its immunocompromised, elderly and disabled residents throughout the last four years of the pandemic. While these vulnerable groups remain at risk, general consensus unfortunately paints the wider population as in the clear.

But now that we find ourselves in a sudden surge with fewer protections than ever, our responsibility to act collectively is long overdue.

Although we should have never scaled back COVID-19 surveillance in the first place, it’s not too late to bring it back. As a first step, we must lean into wastewater testing to regain any sense of direction in this ongoing pandemic.

How It Works — And Doesn’t

Wastewater testing offers insight into a community’s health through sewage sample collection. It’s a unique form of testing because it catches asymptomatic and mild cases that would otherwise fly under the radar. It also helps detect viral presence in communities before symptoms even kick in, making it an important tool for proactive safety measures.

However, its flaw is its inability to paint a detailed picture. It only shows if there’s a surge of viral presence, not how much of it is there. As Nirav Shah, the CDC’s principal deputy director, told TIME Magazine, “We will still be able to tell that it’s snowing, even though we are no longer counting every snowflake.”

Why We Need It 

It’s unclear exactly how big the most recent surge is for this reason, but scientists claim it may be the second-largest since the pandemic began, just behind the Omicron variant. Utah’s residents have found themselves at the mercy of this surge, with the CDC’s wastewater surveillance data showing a clear increase in viral particles. In fact, we’re one of 10 states with the highest levels of the virus.

The JN.1 variant, highly contagious and emerging in tandem with a variety of other respiratory diseases, should have us concerned. Well over 20,000 people were hospitalized in the last week in this country. Deaths are averaging 1,000 per week. Over 100 Utahns have died as a result of COVID infection in the last three months alone.

News sources throw around COVID-19 death counts with an all-too-normal detachment that disregards the value of life. They treat the 1,500 people who died of COVID-19 between Thanksgiving and Christmas as chump change.

Experts have consistently warned the public about a COVID-19 resurgence. Even if that doesn’t happen this time around, it could burst our country’s complacent bubble next time. 

Wastewater analysis technology is helping prevent the erasure of COVID-19 as a still-present and serious issue. The government’s irresponsible actions and the constant push for a return to normalcy have cost too many lives.

Expanding & Improving Our Surveillance

While not a perfect solution, wastewater testing remains one of the last measures being taken to keep an eye on the virus that has haunted us since 2020. Laboratories, state health departments and hospitals haven’t been required to report test results since last May.

Although take-home test kits are once more free to order, the government’s decision to relaunch the program came after eight straight weeks of increased COVID-19 hospitalization. Our government must invest in our health and safety and bring back required reporting from state institutions.

Wastewater testing is critical, but it’s not enough alone. Problems like dilution from rainwater, contaminants and inadequate regulations for standardized testing complicate the effectiveness of this surveillance program.

The answer is clear: we need to combine wastewater testing with other virus-tracking efforts. We also need consistent wastewater testing so we can get an accurate idea of where we’re at in this pandemic — which hasn’t actually ended. 

Wastewater testing gives us the chance to monitor disease transmission in our communities, but to do nothing with the information it gives us is reckless at best. As we’ve seen, it’s fatal at worst. 

It’s been four years of learning the hard way that our government is careless and disregards our lives. Rather than setting up safety measures for the next pandemic, we’ve seen the U.S. work to sweep this one under the rug at our expense. We should be furious. We cannot let them continue to throw us under the bus when they have the technology available. 

Let wastewater testing inform your choices. Wearing a mask to class, work and crowded functions can save lives. Get vaccinated and boost your immunity. Test yourself after traveling and stay home if you’re sick. But most of all, demand more from your government.

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@angela_lezaic