Mon Dec 27, 2021, 09:20 PM

Tomconroy (7,107 posts)

Covid and the Boston sewers.

Apparently a group at MIT has developed a very accurate way of determine the spread of Covid. They can measure it by sampling at waste treatment plants. The system will anticipate the results of actual tests by a week or more and doesn't suffer the bias resulting from a self selecting group who opt for PCR tests. Here is a link to the most recent results. You can tell where things are headed:

https://www.mwra.com/biobot/biobotdata.htm

I read an article that this new technology will have all sorts of uses: determining levels of drug use, what types of drugs. Apparently it will even be able to measure levels of stress in the community. I guess it's progress.

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2021/12/23/boston-covid-sewage-studies/

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12 replies	Author	Time	Post
Covid and the Boston sewers. (Original post)	Tomconroy	Dec 2021	OP
Best reading of poo data since Henry VIII's physicians	bucolic_frolic	Dec 2021	#1
I don't know...	Enter stage left	Dec 2021	#2
yes	Skittles	Dec 2021	#11
Not to brag, but Oregon State University was doing this back in 10/2020	oregonjen	Dec 2021	#3
University of Arizona was as well	AZSkiffyGeek	Dec 2021	#5
University of Arizona was as well	AZSkiffyGeek	Dec 2021	#7
I think it was April of 2020 that Canadian cities (Montreal and Halifax?) were doing that	Bernardo de La Paz	Dec 2021	#4
Don't poop into sewers! They might trace your DNA back to you!	RKP5637	Dec 2021	#6
Thank you for this, Tom!	smirkymonkey	Dec 2021	#8
I won't start a fight over who was first but the Boston data	Tomconroy	Dec 2021	#9
Burlington, VT mentioned Europe and Boston when it started in August 2020.	karynnj	Dec 2021	#12
I have a septic tank. No one will analyzing my poop!	panader0	Dec 2021	#10

Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 09:25 PM

bucolic_frolic (39,301 posts)

1. Best reading of poo data since Henry VIII's physicians

Don't raise a stink! It's mind over technology.

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Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 09:27 PM

Enter stage left (3,232 posts)

2. I don't know...

sounds like a very shitty type of science to me.

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Response to Enter stage left (Reply #2)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:43 PM

Skittles (151,383 posts)

11. yes

downright crappy

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Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 09:33 PM

oregonjen (3,244 posts)

3. Not to brag, but Oregon State University was doing this back in 10/2020

and brought this testing throughout Oregon.
https://cbee.oregonstate.edu/node/847

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Response to oregonjen (Reply #3)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:05 PM

AZSkiffyGeek (9,674 posts)

5. University of Arizona was as well

I’m not sure how much it’s spread throughout AZ, what with our governor, but they were testing the dorms on campus.

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Response to oregonjen (Reply #3)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:07 PM

AZSkiffyGeek (9,674 posts)

7. University of Arizona was as well

I’m not sure how much it’s spread throughout AZ, what with our governor, but they were testing the dorms on campus.

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Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:03 PM

Bernardo de La Paz (46,732 posts)

4. I think it was April of 2020 that Canadian cities (Montreal and Halifax?) were doing that

... but perhaps not quite that early. One doesn't always note date of report when remembering a factoid.

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Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:06 PM

RKP5637 (66,537 posts)

6. Don't poop into sewers! They might trace your DNA back to you!

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Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:08 PM

smirkymonkey (63,221 posts)

8. Thank you for this, Tom!

I live here in Boston and I am glad that we are at the forefront of such bio-data.

I had an actual PCR test about a week and a half ago at MGH (negative) and then a rapid home test when I went up to Maine for Christmas - also negative (my mom and dad came i frarom NY, and my mom is going through chemo, so it was important that we were all negative, which we were).

I haven't been feeling well since I left ME (not Covid symptoms, just stomach issues, achiness, etc.) so I have not left my apartment at all. I am feeling better than when I left, but that was an awful trip!

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Response to Tomconroy (Original post)

Mon Dec 27, 2021, 10:12 PM

Tomconroy (7,107 posts)