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Could Sewage Give A Coronavirus Warning?

By Sharon McNary
Published May 12, 2020 2:38 PM
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You might not have taken an individual test to see if you have the coronavirus, but you could be contributing to a community-wide diagnostic exercise every time you use the toilet.

Our collective waste will be providing some valuable data about coronavirus to scientists at USC. That’s because even if we don’t have symptoms, the coronavirus can be detected in the stools of 30% to 60% of infected people.

Testing wastewater at treatment plants around L.A. County could provide an early sign that the virus is on the decline, or give an early warning of a new outbreak.

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