Where does the U.S. stand in widespread sewage testing for COVID-19?
By: Newsy
and last updated 2020-12-18 13:33:42-05
The country is heading into a COVID-19 winter without fully deploying widespread testing of sewage for traces of coronavirus, a Newsy investigation has found.
Wastewater surveillance is one of the few proven tools able to track community spread of the disease, with the potential to help monitor immunity rates from new vaccines. It is frustrating, said David Larsen, an associate professor of public health at Syracuse University s Falk College. We re going to see a huge amount of sadness over the next few months. And it s not too late to scale up wastewater surveillance at this time to help us with that.
SHOW TRANSCRIPT
The country is heading into a COVID winter without fully deploying widespread testing of sewage for traces of coronavirus, a Newsy investigation has found.
Wastewater surveillance is one of the few proven tools able to track community spread of the disease, with potential to help monitor immunity rates from new vaccines. It is frustrating, said David Larsen, an associate professor of public health at Syracuse University s Falk College. We re going to see a huge amount of sadness over the next few months. And it s not too late to scale up wastewater surveillance at this time to help us with that.
HOOD RIVER â For decades, climate researchers have warned that as atmospheric temperatures continue to rise, the Pacific Northwest will have less snow and consequently less water to irrigate its crops. As if to hammer the point home, this year Oregon experienced yet another drought due in part to rising temperatures and melting snow.
In 2020, Oregon experienced some of its driest conditions on record. And yet, despite the overall lack of precipitation, the stateâs mountains received more or less normal amounts of snow.
However, above-average spring temperatures melted mountain snow several weeks earlier than normal in several Oregon basins. This led to water flushing through local rivers and streams before it could be used for irrigation during the late spring and summer growing seasons. As temperatures continued to rise throughout the summer, water shortages and drought declarations followed.
The Number Of Democratic Socialists In The House Will Soon Double. But The Movement Scored Its Biggest Victories Down Ballot The resurgence of democratic socialism has occurred during a period of growing activism against widening inequality, persistent racism and looming environmental disaster. WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The congresswome. WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 11: Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks during a town hall hosted by the NAACP on September 11, 2019 in Washington, DC. Also pictured is Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI). The congresswomen talked about their backgrounds and how they were disruptors who “challenged conventional wisdom and assumptions” about how to get elected, among other topics. (Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)