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Encouraging Omicron Sewage News
Massachusetts “Poop-ometer” Gives Us Some Hope
I’m a Boston-based cancer doctor and I’ve been writing weekly fact-based-no-blame-no-rumors-all-science-all-the-time essays about Covid-19 since March 2020.
You can read my views on what we know/knew about Omicron here — or about kids and Omicron here — or you can read about vaccines/anti-vaxxers throughout history here
Wastewater measurements of Covid have been taking place in Massachusetts and many states. They show the quantity of SARS-CoV-2 viral particles in our sewage water. The presence of viral particles in our poop has turned out to be a very accurate early measurement of what to probably expect: it is usually ahead of measured cases by a week or so and ahead of hospitalizations by a few weeks.
(As a reminder, viral PARTICLES are not contagious. There’s no evidence that one can catch Covid from poop or wastewater.)
Wastewater Covid testing been amazingly accurate at predicting the start ups and ends of surges.
In Massachusetts this week it is very encouraging.
For the last few days viral particles — the bits and pieces of Covid in our sewage — are declining, a lot. This may well be very good news that the surge in…
