COVID-19 cases are quickly increasing across the nation due to the B.A.4 and B.A.5 variants of the virus.Health officials say the new variants are highly contagious but overall cause mild infection. At-home tests go unreported to local health officials, so case counts across the U.S. are undercounted.”We know that the counts we have on our dashboard are an estimate,” said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, a public health officer in California explained. “We just know that it’s not counting everybody because a lot of people either don’t get tested or are using the at-home kits.”She said at-home testing is important because it’s available and allows people to test and isolate quickly should they be infected with the coronavirus. To help fill the case count gap left behind by at-home testing, health officials say testing wastewater for the virus that causes COVID-19 can serve as an early warning detection system for the virus in a regional area. Kasirye said Sacramento County has been using wastewater surveillance since early on in the pandemic. Testing wastewater can prove especially helpful in rural areas, regions with limited resources, and places where testing rates are low.Watch the video above for the full story.
COVID-19 cases are quickly increasing across the nation due to the B.A.4 and B.A.5 variants of the virus.
Health officials say the new variants are highly contagious but overall cause mild infection.
At-home tests go unreported to local health officials, so case counts across the U.S. are undercounted.
“We know that the counts we have on our dashboard are an estimate,” said Dr. Olivia Kasirye, a public health officer in California explained. “We just know that it’s not counting everybody because a lot of people either don’t get tested or are using the at-home kits.”
She said at-home testing is important because it’s available and allows people to test and isolate quickly should they be infected with the coronavirus.
To help fill the case count gap left behind by at-home testing, health officials say testing wastewater for the virus that causes COVID-19 can serve as an early warning detection system for the virus in a regional area.
Kasirye said Sacramento County has been using wastewater surveillance since early on in the pandemic.
Testing wastewater can prove especially helpful in rural areas, regions with limited resources, and places where testing rates are low.
Watch the video above for the full story.
