Wastewater coronavirus tests are catching on after proving to be an early warning sign for outbreaks


Move over, swabs. There's a new coronavirus test in town.
Okay, so traditional tests are still necessary when it comes to preventing the spread of COVID-19. But testing wastewater for coronavirus' genetic material — something that was just an "intriguing laboratory finding" a month ago — could be even more effective than individual swab tests as the U.S. aims to reopen while avoiding new coronavirus outbreaks and resurgences, Stat News reports.
COVID-19 can be detected in wastewater as early as two weeks before a person begins to show symptoms, and also allows for widespread analysis of just how much of a city is getting sick. After a study pointed this out, wastewater facilities around the country started sending samples to labs, which determined far more people actually had COVID-19 than had been tested for it.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Over the past few weeks, more sewage plants have started sending their samples to labs and even conducting analysis on their own, and more studies have revealed that "you can pick up a signal about a week before the first clinical case," Stat News writes. And while the U.S. is waiting for a lab-to-lab comparison before rolling out a uniform nationwide sewage testing regimen, Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands have already launched national programs of their own.
This all may prove key as states move to reopen, as wastewater could show if COVID-19 is spiking again before patients arrive in the hospital. Read more at Stat News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
How generative AI is changing the way we write and speak
In The Spotlight ChatGPT and other large language model tools are quietly influencing which words we use
-
How long can Nato keep Donald Trump happy?
Today's Big Question Military alliance pulls out all the stops to woo US president on his peacemaker victory lap
-
Easy Money: the Charles Ponzi Story – an 'enlightening' podcast
The Week Recommends Apple Original podcast explores the 'fascinating' tale of the man who gave the investment scam its name
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments