KDHE and KU School of Engineering test wastewater as another way to track the coronavirus

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) — The Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the KU School of Engineering are finding new ways to track the coronavirus throughout the state.

One of the ways they’re getting more information is by testing wastewater from a dozen plants across the state. Through the samples, they’re able to detect genetic remnants of the coronavirus.

Experts with KDHE and KU believe that those who have the virus shed it through their urine and or feces.

However, it’s important to know that the virus itself does not exist in the wastewater, just in those genetic remnants, meaning people are not at risk of contracting coronavirus through the wastewater.

What this research does is give county health officials an idea of how widespread the virus is in their county and helps them determine what proactive measures to take to mitigate the spread.

“[The virus] doesn’t follow a really clean pattern of people having symptoms and then they are shown to be infected,” said Bureau of Water Director for KDHE Tom Stiles. “It seems to comes in various degrees and shades among everybody. This is just potentially another tool for us to see how latent the virus might be.”

Samples were taken from wastewater plants in Douglas, Shawnee, Miami, Franklin and Brown County.

Some of the results surprised local health officials. Wastewater collected from Hiawatha tested positive for coronavirus genetic remnants, even though the city said as of Wednesday, they have not yet had a confirmed case of the virus. There has only been one confirmed case of the virus in Brown County.

According to KDHE, drinking water is not currently a part of the study, but they want you to know that the disinfection by Kansas water suppliers would inactivate the virus anyway, and that means your water is safe to drink.