DETROIT, Mich. (WLNS) – Michigan State University is expanding a research project in Detroit to monitor the city for COVID-19 outbreaks by analyzing wastewater.
The university has been monitoring viruses in the city’s 3,000 miles of sewers since 2017 as part of a grant project from the National Science Foundation. When the pandemic struck, it was natural to focus on SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Experts from the university and the city held a roundtable today discussing their findings so far.
“This is much bigger than COVID-19 because we can keep doing this,” said Irene Xagoraraki from MSU’s College of Engineering.
“We can screen for upcoming diseases, and screen for general health, and also immunity.”