Prognosis

Omicron Wave May Have Peaked in Boston, Sewage Data Show

Residents wait in line to receive a Covid-19 test in Boston on Jan. 8. — Residents wait in line to receive a Covid-19 test in Boston on Jan. 8.
Photographer: Vanessa Leroy/Bloomberg

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By Henry Ren and Janet Wu

January 13, 2022 at 8:30 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

The surge in coronavirus infections may have hit a peak in the Boston area amid a steep decline of viral signals in wastewater.

Data from Boston-based Biobot Analytics, a startup that monitors Covid levels in sewage, showed that the virus concentration in the city’s wastewater samples is down more than 50% from its recent peak. The drop-off is the most dramatic to date, according to Biobot President and co-founder Newsha Ghaeli, after virus signals shooting up 10 times compared with levels a year ago.