In today's health headlines we talk about how one city is looking at waste water to understand the spread of COVID-19.
Also, the New York City death toll from COVID-19 may be greater than initially thought.
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS INKANSAS... ARE TURNING TO ANUNUSUAL SOURCE TOHELP TRACK THE SPREAD OF THECORONAVIRUS -- WASTEWATER.ARIEL ROTHFIELD EXPLAINS WHY.IT'S NOT A PLACE MANY PEOPLEWANT TO BE, BUT IT'S A GOLD MINEOF INFORMATION FORRESEARCHERS LIKE PROFESSORBELINDA STURM.WHO HAS BEEN TESTING WASTE WATERTO MONITOR THE SPREAD OF THECORONAVIRUS IN OURCOMMUNITIES."IF WE CAN DETECT THE WASTEWATER, WE CAN KNOW WHAT'S GOINGUP AND INCREASING ORDECREASING FOR THAT POPULATION."RIGHT NOW HEALTH OFFICIALSMONITOR THE VIRUS BY TESTINGPEOPLE.
THE TEST ARE LIMITED ANDSOMETIMES COSTLY.ONE REASON THE KANSAS DEPARTMENTOF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ASKEDSTURM TO HELP."IF WE SEE A POSITIVE, THENOBVIOUSLY THAT MEANS THAT WITHINCATCHMENT BASIN THERE ARE HUMANSSHEDDING COVID AND WE'REOBSERVING THEM IN THE WASTEWATER."THE CDC SAYS THE VIRUS HAS BEENFOUND IN FECES OF PATIENTSDIAGNOSED WITH COVID-19.WHILE STUDIES SUGGEST THE VIRUSBECOMES INACTIVE BY THE TIME ITGETS TO THE SEWER SYSTEM, ITSTILL CARRIES GENES THATRESEARCHERS LIKE STURM CANDETECT."WE ARE CONCENTRATING VIRUSESFROM 150 MILLILITERS.
SO WITH AJAR LIKE THIS WE ARE SEEINGWHAT'S IN THERE AND WE'RE ABLETO DETECT THOUSANDS OF VIRUSPARTICLES FROM THAT SAMPLE."SO FAR IN HER LAB, SHE'S TESTEDTWELVE SITES WITHIN FIVE KANSASCOUNTIES.SAMPLES FROM TEN OF THE TESTFACILITIES TESTED POSITIVE FORTHE VIRUS."SEVERAL OF THE FACILITIES WESAMPLED, THERE ARE NO REPORTEDCASES IN THOSE COMMUNITIES.WE'REFINDING THAT THE CASES ARE FIVETO TEN TIMES UNDER REPORTED.
SOON ONE HAND IT'S NOTSURPRISING BUT IT ISDISAPPOINTING."SUGGESTING WASTE WATER CAN TELLUS A LOT ABOUT THE PANDEMIC.EXPERTS SAY... WASTEWATER COULDEVEN SERVE AS AN EARLY WARNINGSYSTEM... FOR FUTURE OUTBREAKS.THE DEATH TOLL FROM THECORONAVIRUS IN NEW YORK CITY...MIGHT BE WORSE THANORIGINALLY THOUGHT.ACCORDING TO A NEW C-D-CREPORT... THERE WERE MORE THAN24 THOUSAND EXCESSDEATHS IN THE CITY... BETWEENMID-MARCH AND EARLY MAY.
THAT ISTHE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL DEATHSTHAT EXPERTS WOULD TYPICALLYEXPECTBASED ON THE SEASON.AMONG THOSE... CLOSE TO 19THOUSAND WERE EITHERLAB-CONFIRMED OR PROBABLE COVI
In today's health headlines we talk researchers in Boston are developing a new test that shows the first signs of Coronavirus.,..
In today's health headlines we talk about some new, easier testing that is being developed for COVID-19. A new test would use..
