Arizona researchers to study coronavirus spread in Yuma sewage

Arizona researchers are launching a project in Yuma County aimed at understanding the community spread of the coronavirus by studying the area’s wastewater.

Gov. Doug Ducey in recent days announced $500,000 in federal relief dollars have been set aside for the sewage surveillance program.

The project is to be carried out by Yuma County public health officials and the University of Arizona’s Center for Excellence in Desert Agriculture.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been collecting data from similar programs being carried out around the U.S. to help public health researchers in places where clinical testing is underutilized.

Sewage testing has been used in the past to detect and study other diseases like polio.

Continuing coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic

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