Sewage Covid Study

Chattanooga taking part in study that tracks Covid-19 through wastewater.

So far it shows more cases than the concrete numbers have shown.

Method for tracking covid- 19, and it all comes from your wastewater news 12's joeli poole has more on this research.

Hamilton county's covid-19 cases are continuing to rise, and a new study of the community's wastewater reveals that there may be more cases in our area than numbers show.

The city of chattanooga has partnered up with a company called biobot to participate in research that detects traces of the coronavirus in human waste.

Moccasin bend wastewater treatment facility sends the company small samples sizes , allowing them to test each one thoroughly.

Jeffery rose "they get a count of the genetic fragments of the covid virus.

That's the virus that causes covid.

That county then gets translated with all of our other data through a model that gives us a prevalence rate."

Based on the concentration of covid-19 in the wastewater, biobot estimates there were 12,500 cases in our area at the end of may.

City officials say they decided to spend the almost 24 thousand dollars it takes to participate in this study because they believe all data options should be explored.

Maura sullivan "we just wanted to be able to provide as many points of data as we can for all of us.provide information to all of us in the community and all of us decision makers.

We need as much information as we can have to make those good decisions."

The city says they believe the science and numbers are correct but they are looking for another company to perform this testing just to double check.

Rose "maybe if we could get another lab that does a similar type thing we might be able to just verify yes these are good numbers."

The city will be participating in this study for the next year.

In chattanooga, joeli poole news 12 now.

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