‘It’s concerning’: Wastewater levels fuel spike in respiratory illnesses in Santa Clara County

A dramatic increase in influenza-like illnesses and emergency room visits in Santa Clara County has prompted health officials to urge residents to get vaccinated.

County data focused on local wastewater readings this month shows a rise in RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, as well as influenza and COVID-19. The concentration of RSV in wastewater has almost doubled in the last week in Gilroy, Palo Alto and Sunnyvale and in the last month in San Jose, according to the county’s public health department. Hospitalizations countywide for RSV in the last two weeks are about three times higher than mid-October, data shows, which has led to a countywide push for vaccinations to protect residents.