Researchers are looking at wastewater to measure how prevalent SARS-CoV-2 is in a given community, according to an article on the STAT website.
Researchers collected samples in late March from a wastewater treatment plant serving a large metropolitan area in Massachusetts and found that the amount of SARS-CoV-2 particles in the sewage samples indicated a far higher number of people likely infected with Covid-19 than the reported cases in that area.
The study estimated that there were at least 2,300 people infected with Covid-19 in the area around the treatment facility. But at the time of analysis, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, there were 446 cases officially reported in that area.
Researchers in the Netherlands similarly described detecting the novel coronavirus in sewage samples — sometimes even before public health officials reported the first diagnosed case of Covid-19 in a given community.
From Downtime to Data: Rethinking Restroom Reliability in Healthcare
LeChase Building Four-Story Addition to UHS Delaware Valley Hospital
AdventHealth Sebring Breaks Ground on Expansion Project
Regulations Take the Lead in Healthcare Restroom Design
AHN Allegheny Valley Hospital Opens Expanded Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit