TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The summer surge of COVID-19 continues with new federal data showing the virus is on the rise in many parts of the country.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that wastewater activity for COVID-19 has climbed to a “moderate” level nationwide, up from “low” the week before.

The highest levels are in the Western U.S., the CDC said. States in that region with high wastewater levels include Alaska, California, Colorado, Nevada and Utah.

"Wastewater monitoring can detect viruses spreading from one person to another within a community earlier than clinical testing and before people who are sick go to their doctor or hospital," the CDC said. "It can also detect infections without symptoms. If you see increased wastewater viral activity levels, it might indicate that there is a higher risk of infection."

Other signs also point to an increase. As of this week, COVID infections are growing or likely growing in 45 states, up from 40 last week, according to the CDC.

Emergency room (ER) visits for the illness remain low overall but have also increased compared to the week before, CDC data shows.

CBS News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook said that summer spikes are now a regular pattern.

"We now know that there's a winter spike and then there's a summer spike," LaPook said. "And every year, the number of deaths, the number of hospitalizations, is gradually going down each season. So that's the good news."

Still, he urged people not to ignore the current uptick, especially people at higher risk, including older adults, children and people with weakened immune systems, since COVID can still cause severe illness.

More information

The World Health Organization (WHO) has more on COVID-19.

SOURCES: CBS News, Aug. 8, 2025, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Aug. 8, 2025