CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Researchers are now monitoring sewage in Charlottesville, Virginia, in an effort to predict surges of the coronavirus.
The Daily Progress reported Sunday that the research is part of a modeling project at the University of Virginia.
Data from the area's wastewater will be shared with local and state health officials as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Wastewater Surveillance System.
In Virginia, other areas that are testing sewage for COVID-19 include Hampton Roads and Stafford County.
"Where we see the value in the wastewater surveillance in a post-surge period, during a calm time ... the wastewater surveillance would be a good way to detect an unanticipated resurgence and even to zero in on what part of the city that resurgence is occurring," said Brent French, a professor of biomedical engineering at UVa.
