DECIDES TONIGHT AT 5:00 P.M. EASTERN. >>> COVID NUMBERS ARE ON THE RISE ACROSS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY THIS SUMMER BUT WITH FEWER PEOPLE TESTING, HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE TURNING TO WASTEWATER TO TRY TO MORE ACCURATELY MEASURE INFECTION RATES. ACCORDING TO THE CDC, THE WASTEWATER VIRAL ACTIVITY IS VERY HIGH IN 28 STATES RIGHT NOW. HOSPITALIZATION RATES ARE STILL LOW BUT EXPERTS SAY THAT THE SUMMER SPIKE PUTS VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AT HIGHER RISK. I WANT TO BRING IN A PROFESSOR AND VICE CHAIR OF MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY AT THE BLOOMBERG SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US. WHAT MORE DO WE KNOW ABOUT THIS NEW VARIANT? >> IT IS YET ANOTHER IN A LONG LINE OF WHAT WE CALL VARIANCE WITH KOBI TWO. AND IT HAS SOME VARIANTS THAT ALLOW IT TO EVADE THE VACCINE. SO IT SHOULD BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INFECTION WITH IT. IT ALSO HAS LIMITATIONS, MAKING IT BIND A LITTLE STRONGER TO THE CELLS WITHIN YOUR BODY. SO THAT SHOULD HELP IT BE A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF TRANSMISSION. IT IS ON A LONG LINE OF VARIANTS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH AND SEEM TO BE DOING A DANCE BETWEEN RESPONSE AND BINDING TIGHTLY TO CELLS. >> TALK TO US ABOUT HOW THE TESTING OF WASTEWATER ABSTRACT RATES OF INFECTION. >> IT TURNS OUT THAT EVEN WITH VIRUSES THAT AFFECT YOUR RESPIRATORY THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF GENETIC MATERIAL THAT GETS INTO THE WASTEWATER. AND THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THAT IS PROBABLY PEOPLE WITH MILD INFECTIONS THAT WON'T SEEK OUT HEALTHCARE. SO IF YOU CAN MONITOR THE WASTEWATER YOU CAN HAVE A SIGN OF INCREASED NUMBERS OR CASES BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT WAITING FOR THE SEVERE CASES TO COME TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT YOU ARE MONITORING FOR MILD CASES WHERE PEOPLE EITHER TEST AND DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT OR NEVER ACTUALLY TEST. SO IT IS AN EARLY MARKER OF INFECTION. >> GIVEN THAT, WHAT THE WASTEWATER IS TELLING YOU AND GIVEN WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE ABOUT THE ABILITY FOR THE FLIRT VARIANT TO EVADE IN SOME WAY THE VACCINES, ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT WE ARE ON THE PRECIPICE OF ANOTHER WAVE OF COVID? OR, GIVEN THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE LESS HOSPITALIZATIONS, SHOULD WE JUST TREATED LIKE A COURTESY YOU HAVE IF YOU HAD A COLD. >> THEY LOOK LIKE VIRUSES THAT INFECTIONS. THERE IS NOTHING ABOUT THEM THAT MAKES THEM FEEL OVERLY CONCERNED THAT IT COULD CAUSE MORE SEVERE DISEASE BUT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE SHOWING A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CASES. STATES IN THE SOUTHWEST OF THE UNITED STATES ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE. IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY WE ARE