Researchers have found a new way to track the surge of COVID-19 levels in Louisville.According to University of Louisville researchers, the best way of monitoring the presence of COVID-19 in the community is through wastewater samples.Ted Smith, UofL Envirome Institute Center for Healthy Air, Water, and Soil director, said there is a wider disease presence than what medical facilities are reporting from their clinical tests of patients.”We underestimate the true magnitude if we just look at the clinical tests,” Smith said. Smith said that with the expansion of at-home testing, many positive test results aren’t reported to government COVID-19 databases. He also said how there is a lag between someone getting infected and that infection being reported.According to Smith, COVID-19 can be tested in wastewater even before an infected person begins to show symptoms. He also said that the same wastewater monitoring could track when seasonal flu and other infections come around.MSD executive director Tony Parrott said, “Our first task was to move wastewater away from homes and businesses to protect people’s health. That soon expanded to treating the wastewater for the health and safety of our local and downstream communities.”Smith said researchers should be looking in sewers first when it comes to detecting the presence of new or seasonal infections.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —
Researchers have found a new way to track the surge of COVID-19 levels in Louisville.
According to University of Louisville researchers, the best way of monitoring the presence of COVID-19 in the community is through wastewater samples.
Ted Smith, UofL Envirome Institute Center for Healthy Air, Water, and Soil director, said there is a wider disease presence than what medical facilities are reporting from their clinical tests of patients.
“We underestimate the true magnitude if we just look at the clinical tests,” Smith said.
Smith said that with the expansion of at-home testing, many positive test results aren’t reported to government COVID-19 databases. He also said how there is a lag between someone getting infected and that infection being reported.
According to Smith, COVID-19 can be tested in wastewater even before an infected person begins to show symptoms. He also said that the same wastewater monitoring could track when seasonal flu and other infections come around.
MSD executive director Tony Parrott said, “Our first task was to move wastewater away from homes and businesses to protect people’s health. That soon expanded to treating the wastewater for the health and safety of our local and downstream communities.”
Smith said researchers should be looking in sewers first when it comes to detecting the presence of new or seasonal infections.
