US CDC launches wastewater surveillance data to track COVID-19 trends
Source: ANTARA
Date: February 7, 2022
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States (US) on Friday (4/2) launched new surveillance data for tracking COVID-19 in wastewater samples across the country.
The CDC's Wastewater Monitoring tab will track SARS-CoV-2 levels in sewage at more than 400 test sites across the United States.
This marks the first time CDC wastewater surveillance data is available for download.
Wastewater surveillance is a promising tool for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the CDC said. Many people infected with COVID-19 pass the virus through their feces, so wastewater testing can help detect COVID-19 in the community.
Because an increase in the SARS-CoV-2 virus in wastewater generally occurs four to six days before an increase in associated clinical cases, wastewater surveillance can serve as an early warning of an increase in COVID-19 cases and help the public take precautions, the CDC said. According to the CDC, wastewater testing has been used successfully as a method for detecting other diseases, such as polio.
