Since last year, the number of COVID-19 viruses in Houston’s wastewater has increased by more than 300%. Health officials say the data can help predict what will happen in the coming weeks.
Since 2020, Houston authorities have been monitoring the level of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in the city’s wastewater. Based on current data, the SARS-CoV-2 level in Houston wastewater is now 320% higher than the baseline level on July 6, 2020.
The Chief Medical Officer of the City of Houston, Dr. David Perth, explained that the data can be used to help predict how the virus will spread in the coming weeks, adding that the level of the virus has tripled since the beginning of July, ABC 13 Report.
“Wastewater can predict what is about to happen two to four weeks in advance,” Percy said on Wednesday. “Before we saw a drop in positive rates, before we saw a drop in hospital admissions, we saw a drop in the value of wastewater.”
In wastewater analyze According to the data provided by the Houston Department of Health, we can see the monthly changes in the level of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater since the baseline level on July 6, 2020. For example, the viral load on July 27, 2020 was already 39% of the SARS-CoV-2 baseline level, but dropped to 23% on August 23, and then rose again to 31% on September 28.
In March, the Houston Department of Health reported that it detected Virus’ British variant In 31 of its 39 sewage treatment plants. This is a “significant” increase compared to earlier tests, which found this variation in 21 of the 30 treatment plants. According to the Houston Department of Health, this indicates that the variant is spreading “uncontrolled” in the community.
The chief medical officer said that current levels seem to indicate that delta variants will spread further in the coming weeks.
“The virus is spreading rapidly. It is spreading everywhere. It is spreading very intensely. We have levels of virus in wastewater that we have never seen before,” Persse said. According to reports, he described this method as “extremely reliable.”
“I can almost assure you that in the next four weeks, things will only get worse,” he added.
Photo: National Institutes of Health/Handout
