Health commissioner warns X E. C. COVID variant rising nationally; Springfield urges testing and vaccinations

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Health Commissioner Helen Colton told the Health and Human Services Committee that a new COVID-19 variant labeled "X E. C." is now a dominant strain nationally, and outlined local wastewater, case and hospitalization data while urging continued vaccination and testing.

Colton said the X E. C. variant is highly prevalent across the United States but that Springfield and Hampton County are not seeing the same level of impact yet. She reported local indicators including wastewater readings that have trended upward since Dec. 1 and case counts through Jan. 4, 2025.

"X E. C. is the new variant," Colton said during the committee briefing. She told committee members wastewater surveillance and reported positive tests are both showing increases and that hospitalizations and deaths remain concentrated among residents age 65 and older.

Context and why it matters

Colton presented multiple surveillance measures: dominant-variant data (national and county), wastewater signal, case counts and hospitalizations. She stressed that national dominance of a variant often precedes local increases and that older adults and people with chronic conditions remain the most at-risk groups for severe outcomes. Committee Chair Brian Santonello convened the meeting to review that data and steps the city is taking.

Key facts from the briefing

- Cases: Colton reported 141 confirmed cases in Springfield through Jan. 4, 2025; she noted this figure does not include at-home test results. On an adjusted basis the city figure described in the presentation corresponded to about 90.4 cases per 100,000 residents.

- Wastewater: Springfield’s water department provides wastewater testing that Colton said has shown a "roller-coaster" pattern but an upward trend from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1; she said she will ask the department whether the sampling can be broken out to neighborhood or sector levels.

- Hospitalizations: Colton said roughly 4.4% of hospital admissions in Springfield-area hospitals were COVID-related during the period shown in the slides. She clarified that percentage reflects patients who tested positive while hospitalized and does not mean all were admitted for COVID.

- Deaths: For the most recent week cited (week ending Jan. 4), Colton said there were 12 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and two probable deaths. For the current season she reported 347 confirmed and 57 probable COVID-19 deaths (404 total) from July through the date of the presentation.

Testing and vaccination actions

Colton described ongoing local efforts to distribute at-home test kits and to promote vaccination. The Department of Health and Human Services is offering free test kits (four tests per household) along with masks and hand sanitizer on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 311 State Street (corner of State and Myrtle). Colton said the kits in handout inventory expire in July 2025. The department asks for a name and address to prioritize Springfield residents.

The commissioner and committee members repeatedly urged seniors and people with comorbidities to get annual COVID and flu vaccinations. Colton said COVID vaccination is recommended annually and that flu and RSV vaccination efforts remain important for older adults and young children.

Other respiratory threats

Colton also highlighted respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), saying that case counts are rising among children under 5, and briefly noted recent World Health Organization reporting on avian influenza (bird flu). She said the Commonwealth Department of Public Health is monitoring avian influenza and issuing advisories to people who work with animals; she added the state had recently reported one human death linked to bird flu but that there were no local milk- or food-safety alerts for Springfield at the time of the briefing.

Committee discussion and follow-ups

Councilors and committee members asked how home test results are captured (Colton said home tests are not reported and therefore not included in official case totals), whether vaccination rates among seniors are low (Colton said local vaccination uptake remains low in some neighborhoods and described small turnout at recent pop-up vaccination events), and whether wastewater sampling can be broken down by neighborhood (Colton said she would ask the water department to provide more granular data and to consider neighborhood reporting at sector meetings).

No formal votes or orders were recorded. Colton said the department will continue weekly monitoring and public outreach through the respiratory virus season, which she said typically runs through March.

Where to get help

Colton told residents that free test kits and masks are available at the Department of Health and Human Services, 311 State Street, Tuesdays and Wednesdays; she asked people to bring a name and address so department resources can prioritize Springfield residents. She reiterated that vaccines remain recommended by public-health authorities for people ages 6 months and older and that seniors and people with chronic conditions should be especially vigilant.