COVID-19 hospitalizations were down in Allegheny County, but case counts are up—a reversal from last week’s report from the Allegheny County Health Department.
The number of new hospital admissions fell by nearly 70%. But there were also 2,623 new infections reported to the county health department, an increase of nearly 500 from the week before.
The health department does not include at-home tests in its official count of COVID-19 infections. Rather, the county’s number comprises the positive results submitted by hospitals, clinics and mobile testing sites. Therefore, the number of new cases is an unreliable measure of viral transmission.
While the hospitalization and case data paint a muddy picture, wastewater offers clearer context. From July 14-22, concentrations of the coronavirus in Pittsburgh-area sewage increased daily, between 3% and 8%. Omicron continues to be the dominant variant.
However, this wastewater analysis lags a week behind other factors public health officials consult to gauge viral transmission, such as hospitalizations and case counts. But taken together, all three metrics show that COVID-19 remains a risk to Allegheny County residents.
