Trent University and Peterborough Public Health have joined forces to participate in Ontario’s Wastewater Surveillance Initiative, aimed at identifying, managing and preventing potential COVID-19 outbreaks within the community.
Measuring COVID-19 indicators in wastewater could serve as an early warning sign for current outbreaks. Studies have shown that people infected with COVID-19 shed the virus in their stool, sometimes even before they become symptomatic.
Along with other clinical and public health data, the wastewater surveillance performed by Trent will allow Peterborough Public Health to observe transmission trends within the community and allow for targeted surveillance of areas identified as priorities by public health.
