News Flash

Although COVID-19  numbers in Greenburgh and  Westchester are very low - many of us are concerned about the possibility of a second wave.  I have asked the county to consider sewer testing for COVID 19 as a means of determining the level of community spread. This could also help schools determine whether it is safe for schools to reopen.  This initiative could also be considered state-wide or even nationally.Some students and faculty who attend school may not have fever but carriers could be asymptomatic. 

Sewer testing, on the other hand, does not rely on individual compliance,  would account (on a collective level) for asymptomatic carriers, and could be a relatively inexpensive way to track the status of the virus in communities to help inform critical decisions about public safety during the pandemic.

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2020-06-08/how-your-poop-is-being-used-in-the-fight-against-covid-19

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexandrasternlicht/2020/06/24/hundreds-of-us-cities-testing-sewage-for-early-signs-of-coronavirus-hotspots/#523ea544a3d1

https://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-considers-testing-sewage-for-coronavirus-11593634254

How the University of Arizona stopped a COVID-19 outbreak before it even started
School reopenings during the coronavirus pandemic have generally been disastrous, but the University of Arizona is an example of how it can be done somewhat safely. The University of Arizona is testing the wastewater from every dorm, and when signs of the virus were discovered, every student in that dorm was tested. Two asymptomatic students...

Read in BGR: https://apple.news/AZXnavC8xT3SsY5wCRwemNw