CNN
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With COVID-19 testing and other coronavirus-tracking efforts stalling in the United States, sewage monitoring has become the primary method of monitoring the initial spread of the virus in the community. And there’s evidence that scrutinizing the results could help solve some of the long-standing novel coronavirus mysteries.
Genetic sequencing of wastewater samples from sewage systems across the country has revealed dozens of unique strains of coronavirus with multiple mutations in unusual combinations.
One possible explanation for these “mysterious lineages” is that they can be traced back to people who have lived with chronic and severe COVID-19 for years.
in a recent preprint study, about 24 researchers set out to understand the origins of these puzzling lineages by examining the evolution of the Wisconsin lineage. This lineage was associated with a single facility housing 30 individuals and had a persistent presence for more than 1 year. Similar findings were obtained with additional data.
Dr. Mark Johnson, a molecular biologist at the University of Missouri and co-author of the study, said these people would be shedding at least 1,000 times more virus than the average patient.
Johnson used public data on wastewater monitoring to identify 37 of these cases in the United States. – but says there are more possibilities.
“The fact that someone can get this kind of infection, and that there are all the signs that they are not just lying in the hospital, but are still active members of society. , it’s just amazing,” he said.
Amy Kirby, program leader for the CDC’s National Wastewater Monitoring System, said the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention closely monitors these developments but was not directly involved in the work.
At this time, she said the mysterious lineage poses no public health threat.
“The signal we’re really looking for is an increase in the frequency of a particular variant within the community, because that’s what happens at the beginning of a variant surge,” Kirby said. “And that’s not what we’re seeing with these mysterious lineages.”
Johnson’s research has led him to the conclusion that humans are the main explanation for the mysterious lineage.
Some questions remain about Kirby. Sewage monitoring is inherently messy, she said, and many factors can hinder data interpretation. These unique cases may come from people who have had COVID-19 for a long time, or they may have entered the body with infected animal waste.
The only way to know for sure is to link genetic sequences obtained from laboratory tests directly to wastewater samples.
“The best-case scenario is to find the person and have had COVID-19 for a long time, but didn’t know they had this infection. See a doctor and actually give their immune system a little boost.” It’s about getting them on drugs that give them an advantage,” and they get better,” Johnson said.
“But we only know about the people we do find, and we don’t know what the impact will be, because we don’t know who those people are yet.”
Finding these people could help them get the medical care they need and possibly help researchers learn more about the long-running novel coronavirus. However, raising awareness requires coordinated public health messaging in local communities and openness of members of those communities.
“Part of the power of wastewater monitoring is that it is inherently anonymous. It is a community-level monitoring method. No,” Kirby said.
Johnson agrees, making it clear that it’s not something you should chase on a daily basis.
For most of these cases, there is enough data to focus on searching for mysterious lineages within specific populations, but the decision to pursue individuals should be left to public health officials, he said. .
One lineage has been identified for about two years in two watersheds near Ohio. There have been regular sightings south of Columbus, with less frequent sightings in the town of Washington Courthouse, about an hour’s drive away. Johnson’s theory is that this person could live in one county and commute in the other.
The signal has increased over time, with the town of Washington Courthouse recording the highest levels of the virus in wastewater to date last month.
Local health officials in Ohio told CNN that the mysterious bloodline is not a public health threat and they are not actively addressing it at this time.
Johnson says people with chronic infections that may be behind these puzzling strains can develop unexplained symptoms. “Don’t just assume this is plain old diarrhea,” he says. “It could be something else.”
“The chances that patients in Ohio knew about their infection are near zero. The chances of doctors understanding it are near zero. It’s very likely that the infection is causing long-term damage.” and Mr Johnson tweeted. “I’m happy to have the chance to give them proper care.”
