WEBVTT NOTE duration:"00:05:03" NOTE recognizability:0.881 NOTE language:en-us NOTE Confidence: 0.924010485625 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.136 Scientists in Ohio can predict the next COVID NOTE Confidence: 0.924010485625 00:00:03.136 --> 00:00:06.205 wave even before the test results are in. NOTE Confidence: 0.924010485625 00:00:06.210 --> 00:00:08.190 They're doing it using science that NOTE Confidence: 0.924010485625 00:00:08.190 --> 00:00:10.292 is generations old and was previously NOTE Confidence: 0.924010485625 00:00:10.292 --> 00:00:12.464 used to track polio and communities. NOTE Confidence: 0.924010485625 00:00:12.470 --> 00:00:13.940 Yeah, the method involves looking NOTE Confidence: 0.955870146923077 00:00:13.950 --> 00:00:15.003 closely at material. NOTE Confidence: 0.955870146923077 00:00:15.003 --> 00:00:17.109 Most of us get rid of NOTE Confidence: 0.955870146923077 00:00:17.109 --> 00:00:18.729 without a second thought. NOTE Confidence: 0.955870146923077 00:00:18.730 --> 00:00:19.843 Here's Chief investigative NOTE Confidence: 0.955870146923077 00:00:19.843 --> 00:00:21.327 reporter, but it heavily. NOTE Confidence: 0.940448482 00:00:23.700 --> 00:00:25.650 Ohio State University is firmly NOTE Confidence: 0.956857024 00:00:25.660 --> 00:00:29.240 footed in the 21st century. NOTE Confidence: 0.956857024 00:00:29.240 --> 00:00:31.800 Students with smartphones past Rovers NOTE Confidence: 0.956857024 00:00:31.800 --> 00:00:34.040 delivering food during a pandemic. NOTE Confidence: 0.956857024 00:00:34.040 --> 00:00:36.072 But it is another technology that keeps NOTE Confidence: 0.956857024 00:00:36.072 --> 00:00:38.779 campus and the entire state for that matter. NOTE Confidence: 0.956857024 00:00:38.780 --> 00:00:40.684 On the cutting edge of tracking COVID NOTE Confidence: 0.908774476666667 00:00:43.310 --> 00:00:45.500 once our human waste is flushed down, NOTE Confidence: 0.908774476666667 00:00:45.500 --> 00:00:47.060 it's being brought back up. NOTE Confidence: 0.9272046 00:00:49.110 --> 00:00:51.175 At wastewater treatment plants, where the NOTE Confidence: 0.9272046 00:00:51.175 --> 00:00:53.700 raw waste is being siphoned off sampled. NOTE Confidence: 0.812339402 00:00:56.610 --> 00:00:58.220 And sent here to a NOTE Confidence: 0.812339402 00:00:58.220 --> 00:00:59.830 laboratory on OSU 's campus. NOTE Confidence: 0.812339402 00:00:59.830 --> 00:01:02.482 I think that's enough for scientists NOTE Confidence: 0.812339402 00:01:02.482 --> 00:01:04.250 are using tiny microscopic NOTE Confidence: 0.812339402 00:01:04.320 --> 00:01:06.546 samples derived from our waste to NOTE Confidence: 0.812339402 00:01:06.546 --> 00:01:08.880 track the next wave of COVID-19 NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:09.100 --> 00:01:11.396 before showing any symptoms. NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:11.396 --> 00:01:15.750 If the person is infected by a virus, NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:15.750 --> 00:01:18.220 then the wastewater can detect, NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:18.220 --> 00:01:19.964 so that's why monitoring NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:19.964 --> 00:01:23.215 wastewater can be used as an early NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:23.215 --> 00:01:25.960 indicator of the population level. NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:25.960 --> 00:01:28.998 Human case number because it's a correlated. NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.140 So you guys can tell if a community NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:31.140 --> 00:01:33.632 is about to have a COVID outbreak NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:33.632 --> 00:01:35.979 before people start getting the tests. NOTE Confidence: 0.8056433425 00:01:35.980 --> 00:01:36.990 Yes, Doctor NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:38.799 Jiyoung Lee heads up the lab that NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:40.430 is testing the raw wastewater. NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:40.430 --> 00:01:42.510 The process involves several steps NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:42.510 --> 00:01:44.590 from filtering to adding reagents, NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:44.590 --> 00:01:46.638 filtering again, there's something NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:46.638 --> 00:01:48.174 called reverse transcription. NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:48.180 --> 00:01:50.526 The point is, a series of steps NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:50.526 --> 00:01:52.424 is necessary to accurately track NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:52.424 --> 00:01:54.716 traces of COVID-19 in human feces, NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:54.720 --> 00:01:57.102 which Doctor Lee says can have NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:57.102 --> 00:01:58.293 tremendous predictive capabilities, NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:58.300 --> 00:01:59.902 like which dorms on campus might NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:01:59.902 --> 00:02:01.370 have an increase in infections NOTE Confidence: 0.805640585 00:02:01.370 --> 00:02:02.730 and need more testing. NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:02.910 --> 00:02:06.018 So based on our wastewater result, NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:06.020 --> 00:02:07.948 we can tell that. NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:07.948 --> 00:02:11.695 Uh, whether the population in that NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:11.695 --> 00:02:14.960 building has no virus infection, NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:17.138 or if it's a high level? NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:17.140 --> 00:02:19.646 OK, a lot of people get infected, NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:19.650 --> 00:02:21.300 then we can tell them. NOTE Confidence: 0.807115311666667 00:02:21.300 --> 00:02:23.316 OK, this is a hot spot. NOTE Confidence: 0.943232852727273 00:02:23.420 --> 00:02:25.052 That news came as a surprise NOTE Confidence: 0.943232852727273 00:02:25.052 --> 00:02:26.370 to students we spoke to. NOTE Confidence: 0.8225639 00:02:27.810 --> 00:02:30.399 To test it honestly, like for COVID, NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:30.410 --> 00:02:32.290 it's kind of weird. NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:32.290 --> 00:02:34.130 It's kind of weird to talk about. NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:34.130 --> 00:02:35.992 Yeah, I didn't even know they could NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:35.992 --> 00:02:37.915 do that with we honored for the NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:37.915 --> 00:02:39.850 idea that like what you flush down, NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:39.850 --> 00:02:42.450 yeah, right is helping science? NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:42.450 --> 00:02:43.998 Yes, wow, yeah, NOTE Confidence: 0.927569075 00:02:43.998 --> 00:02:46.270 that's really interesting. Process NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:46.300 --> 00:02:47.492 isn't limited to campus. NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:47.492 --> 00:02:49.280 Ohio State's lab is part of NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:49.337 --> 00:02:50.769 a vast statewide network. NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:50.770 --> 00:02:52.406 Tracking COVID in wastewater. NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:52.406 --> 00:02:54.860 Susanna Borova is with the Ohio NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:54.928 --> 00:02:56.938 Water Resources Center at OSU. NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:56.940 --> 00:02:57.500 Responsible for. NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:57.500 --> 00:02:58.900 Collecting the data and sending NOTE Confidence: 0.911295091428571 00:02:58.900 --> 00:03:00.899 it to the state health department NOTE Confidence: 0.828683688888889 00:03:01.170 --> 00:03:02.660 so the wastewater is believed NOTE Confidence: 0.828683688888889 00:03:02.660 --> 00:03:03.852 to be leading indicator. NOTE Confidence: 0.828683688888889 00:03:03.860 --> 00:03:06.164 That means that you see it in the base NOTE Confidence: 0.828683688888889 00:03:06.164 --> 00:03:08.012 voters slightly before you see the NOTE Confidence: 0.828683688888889 00:03:08.012 --> 00:03:10.060 spike in the clinical case testing. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:10.370 --> 00:03:12.690 So even before the cases start going up, NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:12.690 --> 00:03:13.854 you guys would know. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:13.854 --> 00:03:16.382 That there's about to be a spike. Yes, NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:16.382 --> 00:03:19.430 that it's coming up emails obtained by 10. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:19.430 --> 00:03:20.690 Investigates confirmed this. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:20.690 --> 00:03:22.754 Look at this one sent by the Ohio NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:22.754 --> 00:03:24.727 Department of Health on November 23rd, NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:24.727 --> 00:03:27.169 2020, to Columbus and Franklin counties. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:27.170 --> 00:03:28.842 Health departments in it, NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:28.842 --> 00:03:31.350 Odh warns that the latest wastewater NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:31.422 --> 00:03:34.187 results shows the highest levels to date. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:34.190 --> 00:03:35.980 Six days after the collection, NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:35.980 --> 00:03:37.488 COVID cases in Franklin NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:37.488 --> 00:03:38.996 County more than doubled. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:40.548 It happened again this summer in NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:40.548 --> 00:03:42.369 the earliest days of the Delta wave. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:42.370 --> 00:03:44.380 This email sent on July 12th, NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:44.380 --> 00:03:45.660 warned of a recent. NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:45.660 --> 00:03:47.260 Increase in viral gene copies NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:47.260 --> 00:03:48.785 of Jackson Pike Wastewater NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:48.785 --> 00:03:51.071 treatment plant cases in the next NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:51.071 --> 00:03:53.006 week doubled again emails like NOTE Confidence: 0.88389652375 00:03:53.006 --> 00:03:55.064 these have continued to roll in NOTE Confidence: 0.965612993076923 00:03:55.370 --> 00:03:57.673 one of those alerts arrived here at NOTE Confidence: 0.965612993076923 00:03:57.673 --> 00:03:59.798 Columbus Public Health earlier this month, NOTE Confidence: 0.965612993076923 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:01.645 alerting health officials that an NOTE Confidence: 0.965612993076923 00:04:01.645 --> 00:04:03.885 increase in viral gene copies had NOTE Confidence: 0.965612993076923 00:04:03.885 --> 00:04:06.223 been noticed at one of the local NOTE Confidence: 0.965612993076923 00:04:06.223 --> 00:04:07.520 wastewater treatment plants. A NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:07.530 --> 00:04:09.305 spokeswoman for the Columbus Health NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:09.305 --> 00:04:11.080 Department said these alerts alone NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:11.140 --> 00:04:12.916 don't change how they tackle COVID, NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:12.920 --> 00:04:14.225 but she added quote when NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:14.225 --> 00:04:15.972 we get an alert, our team. NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:15.972 --> 00:04:17.727 Add this to the overall NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:17.727 --> 00:04:19.198 epidemiological picture to monitor NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:19.198 --> 00:04:21.304 and prevent the spread of disease. NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:21.310 --> 00:04:22.858 Susanna was quick to point out NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:22.858 --> 00:04:24.589 that this is just one measure. NOTE Confidence: 0.9279327225 00:04:24.590 --> 00:04:26.375 It needs to be treated as such. NOTE Confidence: 0.926296985882353 00:04:26.490 --> 00:04:27.848 You need to always take it in NOTE Confidence: 0.926296985882353 00:04:27.848 --> 00:04:29.075 the context of your community NOTE Confidence: 0.926296985882353 00:04:29.075 --> 00:04:30.560 and what's happening around you. NOTE Confidence: 0.8844625352 00:04:30.850 --> 00:04:32.983 Ohio was one of the first of what has NOTE Confidence: 0.8844625352 00:04:32.983 --> 00:04:34.914 grown to become a nationwide network NOTE Confidence: 0.8844625352 00:04:34.914 --> 00:04:37.055 of 37 States and territories performing NOTE Confidence: 0.8844625352 00:04:37.055 --> 00:04:38.867 COVID tracing through matters. NOTE Confidence: 0.8844625352 00:04:38.870 --> 00:04:41.379 Most of us would just assume get rid of. NOTE Confidence: 0.739471644 00:04:43.610 --> 00:04:45.066 In Columbus, Bennett Haverly, NOTE Confidence: 0.739471644 00:04:45.066 --> 00:04:46.930 10, Investigates certain NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:46.940 --> 00:04:48.344 investigates. Jess received the NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:48.344 --> 00:04:50.450 emails showing that alerts were sent NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:50.504 --> 00:04:52.238 out to Lucas County health officials NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:52.238 --> 00:04:54.300 on October 25th and October 28th, NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:54.300 --> 00:04:56.750 indicating increases in their wastewater. NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:56.750 --> 00:04:58.710 Currently out of the top ten counties NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:04:58.710 --> 00:05:00.390 with the highest rates of COVID, NOTE Confidence: 0.894389095238095 00:05:00.390 --> 00:05:03.000 7 seven are in Northwest Ohio.