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Indicators of COVID in wastewater skyrocketing in Twin Cities
Jan 18, 2022
https://bringmethenews.com/minnesota-news/indicators-of-covid-in-wastewater-skyrocketing-in-twin-cities
The amount coronavirus detected in wastewater in the Twin Cities has reached a new pandemic high, which is indicative of the extremely high levels of the omicron variant circulating in the region.
Tracked regularly by the Metropolitan Council’s Environmental Services scientists, the amount of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) flowing into the Metro Plant can serve as a predictor for a rise or fall in infections, as new cases tend to lag wastewater detection trends by about 6-8 days.
The virus is tracked in wastewater by copies of viral RNA per milliliter. Through Jan. 6, the Met Council tracked 1,047 copies of RNA per milliliter, which is far and away the highest indicators of COVID-19 in wastewater in the two-plus years of the pandemic.