Sewage-testing robots process wastewater faster to predict COVID-19 outbreaks sooner - 0 views
theconversation.com/vid-19-outbreaks-sooner-156467
covid testing sewer UCSD robots technology research
shared by cvanderloo on 26 Mar 21
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By using a sewage-handling robot, our laboratory has been able to detect coronavirus in wastewater 30 times faster than nonautomated large-scale systems.
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When clinical studies emerged showing that people who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 shed the virus in their stool, the sewer seemed like an obvious place to look for it.
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Surveillance depends on concentrating the viral particles from the wastewater to detect these low levels.
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Wastewater surveillance is especially useful as an early-alert system for high-risk areas, such as communities where undocumented residents may be cautious about individual testing.
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The sewage-handling robot is equipped with a specialized magnetic head that snags the magnetic beads, with viruses attached.
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Overall, our system can process 96 samples in 4.5 hours, dramatically reducing the time from specimen to result.
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We’re now using the viral genome sequencing part of our system to track the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.