US CDC launches wastewater surveillance data to track Covid trend

Washington, Feb 5 (IANS) The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched a new dashboard to track Covid-19 in wastewater samples across the country.The CDC's Wastewater Surveillance tab will track SARS-CoV-2 levels in sewage at more than 400 testing sites across the US, reports Xinhua news agency.This marks the first time CDC's wastewater surveillance data is available for download.Wastewater surveillance is a promising tool for tracking the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the CDC said on Friday. Many people with Covid-19 shed the virus in their faeces, so testing wastewater can help find the disease in communities.Because increases of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater generally occur 4 to 6 days before corresponding increases in clinical cases, wastewater surveillance can serve as an early warning of increasing Covid-19 cases and help communities prepare, according to the CDC.Wastewater testing has been successfully used as a method for detection of other diseases, such as polio, according to the CDC.
--IANS ksk/

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