COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. COVID-19 most often causes respiratory symptoms that can feel much like a cold, the flu, or pneumonia. COVID-19 may attack more than your lungs and respiratory system and affect other parts of your body. Most people who become sick with COVID-19 have mild cases, but some people have severe symptoms. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1.2 million people in the U.S. have died from COVID-19 as of June 1, 2024.

Read more about COVID-19 from the CDC here.

The CDC recommends 5 core prevention strategies for everyone to help protect themselves and others from severe respiratory illnesses, like COVID-19.

1. Stay up to date with immunizations
2. Practice good hygiene (practices that improve cleanliness)
3. Take steps for cleaner air
4. Use precautions to prevent spread when you are sick
5. When sick, seek health care promptly for testing and/or treatment if you have risk factors for severe illness; treatment may help lower your risk of severe illness

Additional prevention strategies you can choose to further protect yourself and others include:

• Wearing a mask when around others
• Physical distancing when around others
• Testing

COVID-19 Wisconsin Wastewater Monitoring Program

This data is collected by testing samples of wastewater across the state to track levels of SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. Wastewater data can provide a better estimate of how many people in the community have COVID-19, as many people who have COVID-19 use at-home tests or are asymptomatic and might not know they have the virus. Monitoring wastewater can be an early warning sign or increasing COVID-19 levels.

Click here to view data.