2 Min Read Published on: 3 hours ago Faculty and students from Loma Linda University School of Public Health have been monitoring possible COVID-19 exposure by testing wastewater on the school campus in Loma Linda, California, United States. Ryan Sinclair, professor in the School of Public Health, has applied Wastewater Based Epidemiology (WBE) as an innovative method of surveillance. Wastewater monitoring has been used historically to track enteric viruses and other pathogens, including the poliovirus vaccine and wildtype strains, norovirus, and others, and drugs such as opioids, but at generally smaller scales. The WBE method has been shown to provide a four- to ten-day early warning on impending COVID-19 outbreaks. Through this method, Sinclair and his team of students can detect a single infected individual among hundreds of dorm students.