Newsweek Some 17 US states have detected “very high” levels of Covid in their wastewater, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A rise in levels of Covid found in wastewater can signal that more people are getting infected.
Newsweek has analysed official figures to create a map illustrating the highest rates of Covid in their wastewater. People infected with coronavirus can spread the virus during daily activities such as going to the toilet and blowing their nose. The virus enters the sewer system through sinks, drains, and toilets. Fragments of SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in samples of wastewater.
Sewage can be tested to detect traces of infectious diseases circulating in a community, even if people don’t have symptoms. The data can be used as an early warning that levels of infection may be increasing or decreasing in certain areas, often detecting infections before clinical tests do. Continue reading