Wastewater testing for COVID-19 proves effective, researchers say Testing wastewater on UVA Grounds to detect coronavirus By NBC12 Newsroom | May 11, 2021 at 3:31 PM EDT - Updated May 11 at 3:31 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WWBT) - Researchers say that wastewater testing has proven effective in finding new cases of COVID-19 congregate living settings.
A new study by the University of Virginia offered some of the first guidance on methods to perform the testing to detect the virus.
“The researchers evaluated and compared sampling and analysis techniques by testing them within buildings with known numbers of positive cases. They were then able to determine wastewater testing’s strengths and limitations as a tool for monitoring COVID-19 in a building population,” a release said.
Wastewater testing is an effective way to identify new cases of COVID-19, finds study
Wastewater testing is an effective way to identify new cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes and other congregate living settings, and it may be particularly useful for preventing outbreaks in college dormitories, a new University of Virginia study finds.
The research, a collaboration of UVA s School of Medicine and School of Engineering, was led by UVA Health s Amy Mathers, MD. It offers some of the first clear guidance on the most effective methods to perform testing to detect COVID-19 in wastewater.
The researchers evaluated and compared sampling and analysis techniques by testing them within buildings with known numbers of positive cases. They were then able to determine wastewater testing s strengths and limitations as a tool for monitoring COVID-19 in a building population. For example, the technique proved better at detecting initial infections than determining the number of occupants infecte
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IMAGE: UVA Health s Amy Mathers, MD, led a study to determine the strengths and limitations of wastewater testing to detect COVID-19 in dorms, nursing homes, prisons and other congregate settings.. view more
Credit: Sanjay Suchak | UVA Communications
Wastewater testing is an effective way to identify new cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes and other congregate living settings, and it may be particularly useful for preventing outbreaks in college dormitories, a new University of Virginia study finds.
The research, a collaboration of UVA s School of Medicine and School of Engineering, was led by UVA Health s Amy Mathers, MD. It offers some of the first clear guidance on the most effective methods to perform testing to detect COVID-19 in wastewater.
UVA infectious disease expert discusses variants, efficacy of vaccines Dr. Amy Mathers and her team of infectious disease specialists at the University of Virginia are tracking down variants of COVID-19 in Central Virginia, studying nearly every single positive case in our region. By Elizabeth Holmes | May 8, 2021 at 10:37 PM EDT - Updated May 8 at 10:37 PM
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Dr. Amy Mathers and her team of infectious disease specialists at the University of Virginia are tracking down variants of COVID-19 in Central Virginia, studying nearly every single positive case in our region.
“It’s been pretty interesting. We’ve been trying to get all sequences of all positive cases done since February 1, so we’ve been watching a change in emergence of the different variants,” Mathers said in a press briefing hosted by UVA Health on Friday.