Sunday, December 6, 2020

Water Environment Association of Utah Event

FREE Webinar | December 9, 2020 | 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Beginning last March, scientists from state agencies [Utah Division of Water Quality (DWQ), Utah Department of Health (DOH)]  and several universities (University of Utah, Utah State University, Brigham Young University and Dixie State University) began regular measurement of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) RNA concentrations in wastewater influent samples collected at wastewater treatment plants throughout Utah. This information provides a pooled indicator of the status and trends of COVID-19 infections in communities served by the treatment plant (the sewershed).

What initially started as a pilot project of 10 facilities has grown to include >42 facilities statewide who have graciously volunteered to collect samples. Project results continue to be shared with health officials and the public, including through an interactive public dashboard (wastewatervirus.utah.gov), to better inform pandemic response efforts.

In this webinar, project collaborators will discuss how this project developed and what we have learned along the way. Together, these discussions will include sample design, advantages and disadvantages of wastewater surveillance, sample analysis, interesting results, and plans for the future. Each topic will cover challenges encountered along the way to inform similar projects that may be established to inform current and future public health priorities.

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