An illustration of COVID-19 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
NEW YORK (AP) – Experts are watching for a potential new COVID-19 surge in the U.S.–and wondering how long it will take to detect.
They say recent changes could hurt the nation’s ability to see the beginning of a new wave. Those changes include how Americans are getting tests and a decision by federal officials to reduce the number of labs hunting to variants.
Health officials are increasingly focusing on hospital admissions, which rise only after a surge has arrived. And a wastewater surveillance program remains a patchwork that cannot yet be counted on to fully understand coming surges.
By Mike Stobbe, Associated Press
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