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Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,567
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

[ Edited ]

@Porcelain wrote:


Let's be clear though. You can't get Covid from waste water or tap water.

 

They are just using the traces to gauge how many people may be infected because testing is still not adequate in many areas.


 

@Porcelain  I'm thinking about when someone uses even their own toilet...the 'toilet plume'

 

For those interested, read this info:

 

What to Know About COVID-19, Public Bathrooms, and 'Toilet Plume'

 

My point is that nobody really knows at what level we need to be concerned. I personally wouldn't worry too much about it unless I was in a hotspot/zone.

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,960
Registered: ‎05-21-2010

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

[ Edited ]

@Susan Louise wrote:

@itsmagic wrote:

I read an article a couple months ago of how places like colleges had their wastewater checked to keep track of Covid infections. 


@itsmagic  Well, I'm thinking about at what levels will it start to be concerning for those who isolate/stay at home? The chart in the article is eye-opening. Add on that the spike in COVID cases/deaths is just starting to ramp up and nobody really knows right now at what level we need to be concerned.

 

@Susan Louise   I don't understand your point about people isolating and staying at home and waste water. If they are not infected how would they come in contact with infected waste water? The water in the toilet is not waste water until waste is put in it. 

 

You mention people using their own toilet and the "toilet plume." But the article is about public restrooms. 

 

 


 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,280
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

As long as we aren't drinking, cooking, cleaning or bathing in waste water I think we'll be okay.

Valued Contributor
Posts: 593
Registered: ‎08-21-2011

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

@MoonieBaby @I am sooooo over it!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,567
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.


@CelticCrafter wrote:

As long as we aren't drinking, cooking, cleaning or bathing in waste water I think we'll be okay.


 

@CelticCrafter  I get your point...

At the same time, waste management is not infallible. This has been a crazy year to say the least. For example, disasters like flooding...even minor in localized areas could potentially become an issue if the water was untreated.

 

Again, nobody really knows yet at what the level of COVID in the waste water would be concerning.

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,120
Registered: ‎03-29-2019

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.


@Susan Louise wrote:

@CelticCrafter wrote:

As long as we aren't drinking, cooking, cleaning or bathing in waste water I think we'll be okay.


 

@CelticCrafter  I get your point...

At the same time, waste management is not infallible. This has been a crazy year to say the least. For example, disasters like flooding...even minor in localized areas could potentially become an issue if the water was untreated.

 

Again, nobody really knows yet at what the level of COVID in the waste water would be concerning.

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I refuse to become paranoid over my tap water.

The Sky looks different when you have someone you love up there.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,736
Registered: ‎02-19-2014

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.


@Susan Louise wrote:

@CelticCrafter wrote:

As long as we aren't drinking, cooking, cleaning or bathing in waste water I think we'll be okay.


 

@CelticCrafter  I get your point...

At the same time, waste management is not infallible. This has been a crazy year to say the least. For example, disasters like flooding...even minor in localized areas could potentially become an issue if the water was untreated.

 

Again, nobody really knows yet at what the level of COVID in the waste water would be concerning.

 

 


There is no level of Covid traces that would be concerning as far as catching anything. You could wade through it and nothing would happen to you, Covidwise. It would just be gross.

 

If a virus can't replicate it's not dangerous anymore. It's to all intents and purposes, dead. That's not up for debate.

 

You are conflating a bunch of different but similar sound things here. Covid traces are not the same thing as the Covid virus. A toilet plume of someone's actual personal waste that could contain a minute amount (not enough to infect anyone) live virus at that brief moment in a public bathroom with a toilet without a lid on it--is not the same as waste water with dead Covid traces from the community in it. It sounds similar but it's not. And none of it is considered a public health concern at this time.

 

If you trust the experts, which we should, this is not the area to invest time and energy in. Of course you can and will do as you like.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,401
Registered: ‎07-15-2016

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

There have been articles written over the years about the "residue" from all sorts of drugs (legal and illegal) that people have been taking.

 

The amount of hormones from BC pills has actually caused genetic changes in fish!

 

So - finding virus residue isn't surprising.

 

Google:  Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,458
Registered: ‎06-10-2015

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

 

 

Note to self:

 

Next visit to Boston, don't drink from toilet. Check.

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,509
Registered: ‎11-08-2020

Re: COVID detected in wastewater - Mass.

@Susan Louise  et al.  The waste water was tested in a university town close to where I live.  It revealed that there was COVID in the community although no one there had tested positive.

 

The occurrence led medical professionals to immmediatwly ramp up testing in the town and get a handle on the virus before it got out of control.  Once it was found in the waste water there were pop up testing sites immediately deployed to deal with it.

 

Testing waste water is a good thing,  I am in Nova Scotia.  S.