How testing sewage could help slow the spread of COVID-19

DURING THE PANDEMIC. >> THIS IS WHAT WE WILL DROP INTO THE MANHOLE. >> CRAIG JOHNSON SAYS DEMAND HAS SKYROCKETED FOR THESE AUTOMATIC WATER SAMPLERS. >> THIS IS A COMMUNITYWIDE LEGAL TEST -- URINE AND FEC TEST. >> TESTING SEWAGE TO MONITOR THE SPREAD OF THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS. IT CAN SHOW UP AND WASTE WATER A WEEK BEFORE PEOPLE REALIZE THEY ARE SICK. >> IT IS THE CANARY IN THE COAL MINE. YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO AND SWAB EVERYBODY. YOU WILL KNOW IF THE COMMUNITY HAS IT. >>’S COMPANY, CLIPPER CONTROLS, PROVIDING DEVICES TO SACRAMENTO SEWER DISTRICT. THE SEWER DISTRICT FOR THE MAJORITY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY. >> WE ARE HOPING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE OVERALL PICTURE AND HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE FIRES. >> THE WATER BREAKS OFF OF THE MAINLINE. IT MAKES ITS WAY TOWARD THE AUTOMATIC SAMPLERS THAT ARE SENT OFF TO THE LAB. CHRISTOPH DOBSON SAYS THE COUNTY DETECTED RISING CASES BEFORE THE PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUED THEIR DATA. >> EVERYBODY HAS TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. WE ARE GETTING INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE WHO I NOT HAVE SYMPTOMS OR EVEN KNOW THEY ARE SICK. >> COMMUNITIES TURNING TO NEW TESTING METHODS

All across the country, counties, colleges and other communities are now testing sewage to monitor the spread of the coronavirus. According to experts, COVID-19 can show up in wastewater about a week before people even show symptoms. “Just think of it as, this is a community-wide urine and fecal test,�� Craig Johnson said. Johnson’s company, Clipper Controls, supplies organizations with automatic water samplers, a tool that can be used to detect COVID in wastewater. The device is dropped into a manhole and collects sewage samples. Recently, Johnson said demand for the device has greatly increased. “It’s the canary in the coal mine,�� he said. “It’s the early warning detection before there’s anybody that has symptoms. You don’t have to go and swab everybody and force testing because you’ll know if the community has it.”Johnson is one of the vendors that has provided equipment to the Sacramento Area Sewer District in California. The sewer system covers the majority of Sacramento County and serves 1.4 million customers. The sewer district started sewage surveillance in April. “We’re just hoping to contribute to the overall picture and have a better understanding of this virus,�� Christoph Dobson, the district's director of policy and planning. He said by testing wastewater, they were able to detect the county’s recent rise in COVID cases about a week before the public health department issued their data.“Everybody has to go to the bathroom. So we’re getting information from people that may not have any symptoms or even know that they are sick,�� he said. “It can tell you whether the trend is going up, going down, flattening out. So it gives you an idea of the overall community.”University of California, Davis is also testing sewage for COVID-19. While COVID-19 can show up in sewage, according to UC Davis and the Centers for Disease Control, there is no data that shows anyone has become sick because of direct exposure to wastewater.Meanwhile, the CDC is developing a portal for health departments to submit a wastewater testing database to help interpret the public health information across the country.Watch the videos above to learn more.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —

“Just think of it as, this is a community-wide urine and fecal test,�� Craig Johnson said.

Johnson’s company, Clipper Controls, supplies organizations with automatic water samplers, a tool that can be used to detect COVID in wastewater. The device is dropped into a manhole and collects sewage samples. Recently, Johnson said demand for the device has greatly increased.

“It’s the canary in the coal mine,�� he said. “It’s the early warning detection before there’s anybody that has symptoms. You don’t have to go and swab everybody and force testing because you’ll know if the community has it.��

Johnson is one of the vendors that has provided equipment to the Sacramento Area Sewer District in California. The sewer system covers the majority of Sacramento County and serves 1.4 million customers. The sewer district started sewage surveillance in April.

“We’re just hoping to contribute to the overall picture and have a better understanding of this virus,�� Christoph Dobson, the district's director of policy and planning. He said by testing wastewater, they were able to detect the county’s recent rise in COVID cases about a week before the public health department issued their data.

“Everybody has to go to the bathroom. So we’re getting information from people that may not have any symptoms or even know that they are sick,�� he said. “It can tell you whether the trend is going up, going down, flattening out. So it gives you an idea of the overall community.��

University of California, Davis is also testing sewage for COVID-19.

While COVID-19 can show up in sewage, according to UC Davis and the Centers for Disease Control, there is no data that shows anyone has become sick because of direct exposure to wastewater.

Meanwhile, the for health departments to submit a wastewater testing database to help interpret the public health information across the country.

Watch the videos above to learn more.

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How testing sewage could help slow the spread of COVID-19

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