MADISON, Wis. — The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has launched a data dashboard to track the presence of the coronavirus in wastewater throughout the state.
Health officials said monitoring wastewater for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can help indicate if the virus’ levels are increasing or decreasing in a given community. According to a news release, wastewater monitoring provides a broader understanding of the disease’s activity.
While officials are still working to gather data from wastewater systems throughout the state, the goal is to include 100 sewersheds that will cover roughly 60% of the state’s population.
The project is a collaboration between the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
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