The Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Environmental Protection Agency are teaming up with the U.S. EPA in Cincinnati and the Ohio Water Resources Center to test Ohio’s sewage and wastewater treatment systems to determine the presence of coronavirus RNA fragments in, well, poo.
Fragments of coronavirus RNA can be found in the feces of both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals infected with COVID-19. A study from the Scripps Research Translational Institute found that asymptomatic people have a similar viral load to those of symptomatic individuals, and up to 45% of infected individuals may be asymptomatic.
According to a press release from the Ohio EPA, emerging science indicates that the virus can be detected in raw wastewater about three to seven days before there is a visible increase in cases and/or hospitalizations. So the data collected could provide an early warning of the virus’ spread in a community and indicate the level of spread.
“For Ohio, this research may unlock important tools for public health officials to better estimate viral loads as a leading indicator of disease occurrence in a community, to help understand disease trends, and to inform or assess the effectiveness of community interventions to limit the spread of disease,” the release says.
In a video from Cincinnati’s Metropolitan Sewer District, Jay Garland, a researcher from the U.S. EPA, says the agency has been interested in using wastewater testing as a tool for public health — a concept called “wastewater-based epidemiology.”
“We think that this tool for wastewater monitoring may be a good leading edge or leading indicator of rising infections,” Garland says. “So, if you could monitor areas like that — a building or at-risk community or population — you might be able to see a rising level of infection before you see confirmed cases because of the high level of asymptomatic people typically associated with this disease.”
Approximately once a week, MSD will be taking “influent wastewater samples” from Hamilton County’s seven major wastewater plants, says Bruce Smith, assistant superintendent of regulatory compliance and safety at MSD.
“We’re really excited here at MSD to be a part of this study. We’re really looking forward to this collaboration with both the U.S. EPA and the CDC and to help the U.S. with understand and responding to the coronavirus,” says Diana Christy, director of MSD, in the video.
The research is being supported by $2 million in funding from the federal CARES Act and is led by the Ohio WRC at The Ohio State University. The initial round of sampling will collect data from wastewater treatment plants in Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Akron, Toledo and Dayton. The Ohio EPA said it expects research to expand to the state’s smaller municipalities, too.
This article appears in The Summer Guide.
