With the rapid rise in the number of confirmed cases in the United States, New York is likely working to find the exact reason behind the spread of the pandemic. The state is likely going to test the vast amount of sewage produced by the residents to further understand the pandemic and its spread.
As reported by The Walls Street Journal, the workers for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection have found a way to further detect the genetic material present in the disease in the wastewater.
“Analyzing the sewage could be a quick way to get ahead of outbreaks before people start showing up in emergency rooms,” said Vincent Sapienza, commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection.
The death toll in New York has crossed 23,000 already.
Some of the infected individuals who have contracted the virus do excrete some of the particles via their faeces, even if they are asymptomatic patients.
Majority of the utilities across the country have already started examining whether the sewage would be able to provide with compelling and insightful information concerning the spread of the virus.
The main objective behind this is to find the amount of viral material in the wastewater which can further be quantified. The authorities further wish to share the information with the healthcare workers who are currently looking for hotspots.
A spokesperson for the same has reported that even though wastewater doesn’t necessarily spread the virus, the surveillance of the same has been found to provide with insights on a community level of the presence of Covid-19 that could further help reform some of the current health policies.
