CLEVELAND, Ohio - Flu season has arrived in the Cleveland area. How do we know? It's in the sewage.
A rise in flu virus levels has been detected in the untreated sewage at the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, which means people have been getting sick, said David Margolius, director of public health for Cleveland.
Humans shed viruses in the their body when they go to the bathroom.
What normally follows such a rise is an increase in emergency room visits, "which we are just starting to see," Margolius said, and then hospitalizations.
The wastewater trend line so far appears similar to what was detected in the past two flu seasons.
"The reason we warn people and these systems exist is because there is something you can do about it, and that's getting a flu shot," Margolius said.
The Ohio Department of Health operates the Ohio Wastewater Monitoring Network Dashboard, which tracks viral loads around the state for influenza, Covid and RSV.