CNN’S DR. SANJAY GUPTA TURNS TO UVA AS EXAMPLE OF WASTEWATER SURVEILLANCE TESTING
In a podcast released Monday, Dr. Amy Mathers spoke with CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta about the wastewater surveillance program at the University of Virginia, which UVA has used to detect and quickly contain COVID-19 infections in dormitories.
Gupta’s daily podcast, “Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction,” reaches a large audience around the world. CNN’s chief medical correspondent started the podcast in late February as the coronavirus pandemic ballooned. It hit 1 million downloads within a week, topping Apple’s podcast list in the News category.
Gupta spoke with Mathers about the possibilities of wastewater surveillance testing, not only for universities, but for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, neighborhoods and even entire cities. Mathers walked Gupta through the process at UVA, from her partnership with School of Engineering associate professor Lisa Colosi-Peterson, who helped Mathers develop the testing process, to what happens if virus samples are detected.