(NEXSTAR) – If it seems like many people you know are suddenly getting COVID-19, you're not alone – new tests found that more than half of U.S. states are currently at the highest possible level when it comes to detection of SARS-CoV-2.

With U.S. citizens and municipalities now a less reliable source of data, experts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have turned to the sewers to monitor the presence of infectious disease in our wastewater.

The results of those tests can provide an early warning system, according to the CDC, as trace amounts of the virus will register even before someone experiences symptoms. It takes about five to seven days for the flush of the toilet to yield results, the CDC says.

States that made "very high" list, as of August 9, include: California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Wyoming,........

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