MINNEAPOLIS — Just in time for the holidays, COVID-19 cases are starting to rise again.
And now, there's a warning about a new variant that's currently the fastest growing strain of the virus called JN.1.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that it's causing about 20% of new infections in this country, and it’s the fastest-growing strain of the virus.
The World Health Organization is also classifying it as a "variant of interest" and will step up its investigations that first started over the summer.
"But it's truly been in the past few weeks that we've seen it take off in the U.S.," said Hennepin Healthcare Dr. Hannah Lichstinn. "That's also when we've been seeing cases in general go up locally."
Dr. Lichstinn says tracking cases is also tougher as fewer people test for COVID, and if they do, it's likely at home and not included in local data. That includes the Minnesota Department of Health that's most recent trends show cases rising in every age group.
But it's actually wastewater surveillance that's really what experts will tell you is more reliable.
"What the wastewater data can tell us is a better sense of what's actually going on in the community," said Dr. Lichstinn.
In fact, the University of Minnesota wastewater dashboard monitors 38 treatment facilities across the state. Nearly all of them show double-digit increases in virus levels within just the last two weeks.
St. Cloud and Fergus Falls are two of the highest with a 120% increase.
"We tend to see that spike before we start to see the sick patients, so it really gives us a glimpse of what's about to come," said Dr. Lichstinn.
At least she says that the symptoms of the JN.1 appear to be the same as the virus' other strains and it is just as preventable with a vaccine.
"I think this is a part of our lives and we can recognize now that it's not going away," said Dr. Lichstinn.
The CDC says only about 18% of people have gotten the latest COVID vaccine that was out this fall and waning immunity is likely contributing to rising cases, along with holiday travel.
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