People’s CDC COVID-19 Weather Report

By /

Wins 

Regional Coalitions for Public Health have begun forming throughout the country. Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York State, New York City, and Pennsylvania formed the “Northeast Public Health Collaborative” this week. They plan to work on emergency preparedness, vaccine recommendations, and strategy around purchasing. The Collaborative will work together on data collection and analysis. This will hopefully improve control of infectious disease and other regional epidemiological issues. California, Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii also formed the “West Coast Health Alliance” earlier in September. They have shared their own vaccine advice making public health recommendations separate from the CDC. We are excited about the potential for these organizations to address harm done by the current administration.

The Weather

The bad weather continues with more storms appearing this week. The CDC wastewater map shows “moderate” to “very high” levels across a majority of states. All regions appear to be trending downwards. However, wastewater still shows “high” to “very high” levels of COVID in most states. This data showcases that the summer surge is continuing. With the start of the school year, many faculty and students are likely impacted. It’s a good time to get your COVID booster if you have not done so already. Wear a high-quality respirator (e.g., N95, KN95) to minimize your risk of getting sick.

Of note, our red-orange map is temporarily not available! We’re hoping to tweak the coding and have it back up by next report! For this week, we’re using the CDC map.

A map of the United States color-coded in shades of blue, teal, and gray displaying SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater Viral Activity levels from CDC Data last updated on September 18, 2025. Deeper tones correlate to higher viral activity. Gray indicates “No Data” and stripes indicate “limited coverage” that is based on less than 5% of the population and may not be accurate. Text above the map reads “30 states at “High” to “Very High” levels”. There is no data for North Dakota or the U.S. Virgin Islands, and limited coverage for Guam, Mississippi, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and New Hampshire. Text at the bottom reads “People’s CDC. Source: CDC.”

Graphic source: CDC

A line graph’s title reads “Wastewater Levels Increasing Nationally.” The Y axis is COVID concentration levels from Very Low to Very High. The X axis is dated from October 1, 2024 through September 13, 2025. The line graph peaks in 2024 summer months and again around the end of 2024. Levels go down nationally in the early months of 2025, but begin slightly but steadily trending upward in August of 2025, with a peak in September of 2025. Levels in the south and west are currently projected to be high, with moderate levels nationally, and slight downward trend overall. Text at the bottom reads “People’s CDC. Source: CDC."

Graphic source: CDC

Emergency Room Use

Emergency room visits involving a COVID diagnosis dropped by .4% to 1.2% this week, according to the CDC. These numbers are current as of September 20, 2025.

A map of the United States color-coded in shades of purple, teal, and gray displaying the CDC COVID Model: Current Epidemic Growth Status based on emergency department visits as of September 20, 2025, where purple tones indicate growing or likely growing, teal tones indicate declining or likely declining, and gray indicates “Not Changing.” States without predictions are represented in white. Text above the map reads “CDC estimates transmission up and down across nation.” Twenty four states are light to dark teal and have “Declining” or “Likely Declining” status. Nine states are light to dark purple and have “Growing” or “Likely Growing” status. Twelve states and territories are “Not Changing” and six states are “Not Estimated.” Text at the bottom reads “People’s CDC. Source: CDC.”Graphic source: CDC

Variants

XFG (AKA “Stratus”) continues to dominate COVID variants, according to the CDC’s tracker. It is predicted to account for over 77% of all infections, as-of September 20. 2025. The WHO still classifies Stratus as a “variant under monitoring.” This means that it is not yet known to cause more severe illness or death than previous variants. Stratus has no doubt been the cause of this summer surge of COVID infections. The WHO noted that current vaccines should offer protection from this new variant.

A set of stacked bar charts in one month intervals on the horizontal x-axis and percentage of each variant in wastewater on the vertical y-axis. The first label is January 1, 2023. The last date shown is September 1, 2025. The estimated percentage for dominant variants for the week ending September 13, 2025 shows XFG in dark blue as 77 percent, XDV.1 as 5 percent, and 18 percent as Other. These are estimations based on a reading of the graph as a static image. The text above the graph reads “CDC Estimates XFG “Stratus” Variant is Dominant”.Graphic source: CDC Wastewater Variant Tracker

Other Public Health Threats

Public Policy

On Friday, Kennedy’s ACIP puppets voted to abandon existing COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. This anti-vax panel did what they were hand-picked to do: push the CDC farther away from scientific consensus. To do so, they ignored years of evidence showing the safety and benefits of the vaccines. They also failed to hear the thousands of public comments in support of universal vaccine recommendations.

In strong statements, The American Academy of Pediatrics and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists both recommended the vaccine. Many insurers have agreed to cover the vaccine in 2026, but that only helps those with the right coverage. HHS officials have said vaccines will still be covered by public insurance programs like Medicaid and Medicare. Sadly, there seem to be no real consequences when government spokespeople lie to the press and public.

Measles

Unfortunately, COVID isn’t the only thing to worry about as we enter the fall. Other illnesses will also begin to ramp up, including flu and RSV. Measles is also on the rise. The United States has had a total of 1,491 confirmed measles cases this year, as-of September 16, 2025. There have been 38 reported outbreaks. 86 percent of confirmed cases were outbreak-associated. Additionally, 12% of these measles cases involved hospitalization. This showcases the seriousness of measles and the importance of getting vaccinated against it. All information presented here comes from the CDC’s Measles page. This page, also from the CDC, shows that two doses of the MMR vaccine are 97% effective against measles.

COVID in Palestine

COVID is on the rise in Palestine. A wave of infections is being reported in Gaza, where treatment is not available. There is no access to masks to prevent the spread. In the face of Israel’s genocide, medical care is desperately needed. Unchecked spread of disease has historically been a tool of colonialism and genocide. Our struggles to free Palestine and to end the COVID pandemic are deeply connected. One cannot meaningfully exist without the other.

Take Action

Make your community safer. As we continue to be abandoned by our policy makers, it is up to us to keep each other safe. Get vaccinated and encourage your friends, family, and neighbors to do so as well. As fewer of us will get vaccinated this fall, it is important to also wear well-fitted, high-quality masks, like KN95s, KF94s, and N95s. This is especially true in indoor and crowded outdoor events. It is particularly essential to always mask in healthcare settings. This protects ourselves and the most vulnerable among us. If you’re feeling sick, and you’re able to stay home, please do. See our Safer Gatherings toolkit for more tips on making gatherings safer.

Remove RFK Jr. petition: Stand Up For Science made a petition for the removal of RFK Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. We encourage you to read it and sign on. During a Senate committee hearing last week, RFK Jr. was on the receiving end of intense, bi-partisan questions and accusations. It’s unclear if this will result in any material changes, but it may still be cathartic to watch.

Of course, RFK needs to be removed now, and vaccine access based on vetted science must be restored. Let us not forget that the status quo (before MAGA) was not sufficient or sustainable, either. We need bottom-up, scientifically rigorous rebuilding of dynamic, trustworthy public health infrastructure now. This requires far more than removing one malicious MAGA sycophant. We must get RFK out and forge a powerful movement for the restoration of public health.

Telehealth services through Medicare are ending September 30, 2025 unless we take action. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) must cover telehealth services. Demand permanent funding for telehealth! Send letters to your Senator and House Representative via our Action Network campaign. You can also reach out using their contact information and our letter, editing it as you wish. There is a bill that would fund telehealth services through CMS indefinitely. It is being considered right now. 

Healthcare settings must be safe from COVID infections. Healthcare settings may stop reporting COVID exposures and infections. The deadline for public comments has been extended from September 2, 2025 to November 1, 2025. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) must continue to require reporting of COVID exposures and infections in healthcare settings! We will share specific recommendations for commenting closer to the deadline. Our focus is on ensuring healthcare-acquired COVID infections are reported and prevented. Comment via the Federal Register in support of reporting COVID exposures and infections in healthcare. Deadline: November 1, 2025 at 11:59 pm EST.

Notes: 1) The numbers in this report were current as of 9/20/2025. 2) Check out the links throughout & see our website for more at https://peoplescdc.org. 3) Subscribe to our newsletter: People’s CDC | Substack. If you’re donating to us through Substack, consider getting the Substack for free (it’s not paywalled!) and donating to us directly. That way, there are fewer fees for everyone.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The People’s CDC is a coalition of public health practitioners, scientists, healthcare workers, educators, advocates and people from all walks of life working to reduce the harmful impacts of COVID-19.

We provide guidance and policy recommendations to governments and the public on COVID-19, disseminating evidence-based updates that are grounded in equity, public health principles, and the latest scientific literature.

Working alongside community organizations, we are building collective power and centering equity as we work together to end the pandemic. The People’s CDC is volunteer-run and independent of partisan political and corporate interests and includes anonymous local health department and other government employees. The People’s CDC is completely volunteer run with infrastructure support being provided by the People’s Science Network.

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