CDC Using Viral Particles From Feces to Track COVID

Feb. 4, 2022 — The CDC’s on-line COVID Data Tracker will now embrace info on COVID-19 particles present in neighborhood wastewater, one thing that may assist detect viral surges as at-home assessments have left many instances unreported.

The National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS) consists of wastewater knowledge from greater than 400 testing websites throughout the nation. One of the earliest indicators of an infection is shedding of the COVID-19 virus in feces, permitting federal officers to maintain observe of early tendencies on the neighborhood degree, stated Amy Kirby, PhD, program lead for the surveillance system.

“This is a very powerful method for tracking variants of concern,” she stated at a Friday briefing. “It’s also very important as our testing strategy changed, and more people use at-home tests.”

The system has been within the works since September 2020, Kirby stated, and now there may be sufficient knowledge to share. In the subsequent few weeks, she expects 250 extra websites to be added.

Wastewater is collected because it flows right into a therapy plant. Researchers at native labs focus the virus from wastewater samples and extract genetic materials for sequencing, Kirby stated. That knowledge is then despatched to the CDC.

This can be utilized in most U.S. communities — practically 80% of households are served by municipal wastewater assortment programs, in keeping with the CDC. Cities, and even some schools, have been utilizing wastewater testing for months to determine outbreaks.

“Unlike other types of COVID-19 surveillance, wastewater surveillance does not depend on people having access to health care, people seeking health care when sick, or availability of COVID-19 testing,” the CDC’s NWSS web site says.

It’s a surveillance device that has been used for many years to trace polio abroad. Now, the dashboard will permit such a knowledge to go public, Kirby stated.

And it has potential makes use of for different ailments.

“One of the strengths of wastewater surveillance is, it’s very flexible. Should there be a new pathogen of interest, we could ramp up this system within a few weeks,” Kirby stated. “There is also an interest in using this for non-infectious diseases. We don’t see that being an immediate use, but it’s something we’re considering for down the road.”