As we continue to move through the pandemic, there’s been one set of people keeping our communities going strong. The TRACE team from Oregon State University has been vigilantly tracking wastewater throughout Oregon to determine when a new surge of the Covid virus might be in the offing.
TRACE stands for Team-based Rapid Assessment of Community-level coronavirus Epidemics, and the members of the program test wastewater to find shed virus from flushed water. Currently, water is being collected in around 40 locations across the state, then sent to OSU for testing.
The program is led by OSU Professor Tyler Radniecki, who said to KEZI, “With a single sample, we can monitor the health of an entire community — which is very powerful, and very cost-effective.” It’s also a good way for the state to stay informed as we move further from mask mandates and social distancing protocols.
The Oregon Health Authority has decided to keep the TRACE program around at least until 2023.
As Radniecki said, “Early warnings for potential future waves that can be very important.”
By Sally K Lehman
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