The Perfect Enemy | COVID-19 indicators surge in Boston-area wastewater

Wastewater data indicates that COVID-19 is again on the rise in eastern Massachusetts. Since the early days of the pandemic, samples have been taken multiple times each week at the Deer Island Treatment Plant and analyzed by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s contracted laboratory, Biobot Analytics. The lab looks for viral RNA in the sewage samples and returns results in copies per milliliter.The most recent samples were submitted for testing on Monday. Data from both the northern and southern regions served by the Deer Island plant show a spike of COVID-19 in the sewage over recent days. Infectious disease experts say the wastewater data tends to precede the number of identified cases in the community. Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said the parallel increase in diagnoses could follow one to two weeks behind the wastewater results.”We know cases have been on the rise in England, often an indicator of what is to come in the U.S.,” Kuritzkes said. “Cases have been on the rise in school-age kids, especially those 10 to 18-years-old. It’s a possibility. We have to monitor to see what happens.”

BOSTON —

Wastewater data indicates that COVID-19 is again on the rise in eastern Massachusetts.

Since the early days of the pandemic, samples have been taken multiple times each week at the Deer Island Treatment Plant and analyzed by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority’s contracted laboratory, Biobot Analytics. The lab looks for viral RNA in the sewage samples and returns results in copies per milliliter.

The most recent samples were submitted for testing on Monday.

Data from both the northern and southern regions served by the Deer Island plant show a spike of COVID-19 in the sewage over recent days.

Infectious disease experts say the wastewater data tends to precede the number of identified cases in the community. Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said the parallel increase in diagnoses could follow one to two weeks behind the wastewater results.

“We know cases have been on the rise in England, often an indicator of what is to come in the U.S.,” Kuritzkes said. “Cases have been on the rise in school-age kids, especially those 10 to 18-years-old. It’s a possibility. We have to monitor to see what happens.”