Thread by @houmayor

Today, I want to highlight the @HoustonHealth's wastewater monitoring project, an initiative currently proving itself as a potentially faster method of containing this dreadful disease. #COVID19

The City of Houston and our partners have taken innovative steps to monitor the spread of the coronavirus, so that we are better prepared to provide resources to communities that are vulnerable and high-risk.

This innovative project is a collaboration between @HoustonHealth and leading wastewater and data scientists from @RiceUniversity and Baylor College of Medicine.

Since May, this team has tested wastewater from the Houston’s 39 treatment plants for the presence of the virus that causes #COVID19. That’s because people with COVID-19 shed the virus in their feces, even if they don’t have any symptoms.

Ultimately, the goal is to help develop an early warning system allowing the health department to identify the city’s #COVID19 hot spots sooner and put measures in place to #slowthespread of disease.

An important benefit offered by the project is the detection of a #COVID19 resurgence, if it were to occur.

It offers us a more cost-effective option to mass testing surveys and information on how the virus is affecting areas of our city with limited viral testing.

Overall, this project ensures Houston can count with data that can serve as another tool to identify disease, slow the spread and save lives.

🚨 Trends from @HoustonHealth's #COVID19 wastewater monitoring project indicate a decrease in virus across Houston, mirroring the city’s dropping viral positivity rate and further validating the project as a potentially faster method to identify and contain the disease.

The wastewater project is *not* a substitution for viral #COVID19 testing. Houstonians should visit HoustonEmergency.org/covid19 for current, free COVID-19 testing sites and information about protecting their family and community from the deadly virus.